Sea cat·fish Sea cat Zool. (a) The wolf fish. (b) Any marine siluroid fish, as Aelurichthys marinus, and Arinus felis, of the eastern coast of the United States. Many species are found on the coasts of Central and South America.
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Seal n. Zool. Any aquatic carnivorous mammal of the families Phocidae and Otariidae.
Note: ☞ Seals inhabit seacoasts, and are found principally in the higher latitudes of both hemispheres. There are numerous species, bearing such popular names as sea lion, sea leopard, sea bear, or ursine seal, fur seal, and sea elephant. The bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus), the hooded seal (Cystophora cristata), and the ringed seal (Phoca foetida), are northern species. See also Eared seal, Harp seal, Monk seal, and Fur seal, under Eared, Harp, Monk, and Fur. Seals are much hunted for their skins and fur, and also for their oil, which in some species is very abundant.
Harbor seal Zool., the common seal (Phoca vitulina). It inhabits both the North Atlantic and the North Pacific Ocean, and often ascends rivers; -- called also marbled seal, native seal, river seal, bay seal, land seal, sea calf, sea cat, sea dog, dotard, ranger, selchie, tangfish.
Wee·ver n. Zool. Any one of several species of edible marine fishes belonging to the genus Trachinus, of the family Trachinidae. They have a broad spinose head, with the eyes looking upward. The long dorsal fin is supported by numerous strong, sharp spines which cause painful wounds.
Note: ☞ The two British species are the great, or greater, weever (Trachinus draco), which becomes a foot long (called also gowdie, sea cat, stingbull, and weaverfish), and the lesser weever (Trachinus vipera), about half as large (called also otter pike, and stingfish).
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Wolf n.; pl. Wolves
1. Zool. Any one of several species of carnivorous mammal belonging to the genus Canis (family Canidae) and closely allied to the common dog. The best-known and most destructive species are the European wolf (Canis lupus), the American gray, or timber, wolf (Canis occidentalis), and the prairie wolf, more commonly called coyote. Wolves often hunt in packs, and may thus attack large animals and, rarely, even man.
2. Zool. One of the destructive, and usually hairy, larvae of several species of beetles and grain moths; as, the bee wolf.
3. Fig.: Any very ravenous, rapacious, or destructive person or thing; especially, want; starvation; as, they toiled hard to keep the wolf from the door.
4. A white worm, or maggot, which infests granaries.
5. An eating ulcer or sore. Cf. Lupus. [Obs.]
If God should send a cancer upon thy face, or a wolf into thy side. --Jer. Taylor.
6. Mus. (a) The harsh, howling sound of some of the chords on an organ or piano tuned by unequal temperament. (b) In bowed instruments, a harshness due to defective vibration in certain notes of the scale.
7. Textile Manuf. A willying machine.
Black wolf. Zool. (a) A black variety of the European wolf which is common in the Pyrenees. (b) A black variety of the American gray wolf.
Golden wolf Zool., the Thibetan wolf (Canis laniger); -- called also chanco.
Indian wolf Zool., an Asiatic wolf (Canis pallipes) which somewhat resembles a jackal. Called also landgak.
Prairie wolf Zool., the coyote.
Sea wolf. Zool. See in the Vocabulary.
Strand wolf Zool. the striped hyena.
Tasmanian wolf Zool., the zebra wolf.
Tiger wolf Zool., the spotted hyena.
To keep the wolf from the door, to keep away poverty; to prevent starvation. See Wolf, 3, above. --Tennyson.
Wolf dog. Zool. (a) The mastiff, or shepherd dog, of the Pyrenees, supposed by some authors to be one of the ancestors of the St. Bernard dog. (b) The Irish greyhound, supposed to have been used formerly by the Danes for chasing wolves. (c) A dog bred between a dog and a wolf, as the Eskimo dog.
Wolf eel Zool., a wolf fish.
Wolf fish Zool., any one of several species of large, voracious marine fishes of the genus Anarrhichas, especially the common species (Anarrhichas lupus) of Europe and North America. These fishes have large teeth and powerful jaws. Called also catfish, sea cat, sea wolf, stone biter, and swinefish.
Wolf net, a kind of net used in fishing, which takes great numbers of fish.
Wolf's peach Bot., the tomato, or love apple (Lycopersicum esculentum).
Wolf spider Zool., any one of numerous species of running ground spiders belonging to the genus Lycosa, or family Lycosidae. These spiders run about rapidly in search of their prey. Most of them are plain brown or blackish in color. See Illust. in App.
Zebra wolf Zool., a savage carnivorous marsupial (Thylacinus cynocephalus) native of Tasmania; -- called also Tasmanian wolf.
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