sea-wolf
† 1. A fabulous amphibious beast of prey. Obs.
| 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 2812 Ac after hom þer ssal arise a worm of germanye & þe se wolf him ssal bringe vp. a 1587 Greene Card of Fancie (1593) E iv, The Lyon salueth his sicknesse by eating the Sea Woolfe. 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts 749 The sea-wolfe of the ancient writers..is..a Foure⁓footed Beast that liueth both on sea and land, satisfying his hunger on the most part vpon fishes. |
2. A voracious sea-fish; esp. the bass, Labrax lupus, and the wolf-fish, Anarhichas lupus.
| 1390 Gower Conf. II. 265 Sche tok therafter the bouele Of the Seewolf. 1632 Sherwood, A base, or sea-wolfe, bar. 1694 Motteux Rabelais iv. xix, I'll maul thee worse than any Sea-Wolf. 1784 André in Phil. Trans. LXXIV. 274 The teeth of the Anarrichas Lupus, or Sea-wolf. 1879 E. P. Wright Anim. Life 433 The genus Anarrhichas, one native species of which, the Sea Wolf, grows to a length of seven feet (A. lupus). |
† 3. A seal; a sea-elephant or sea-lion. Obs.
| 1549 Compl. Scot. vi. 60 The sycond is the selcht, quhilk sum men callis the see volue. 1598 W. Phillip tr. Linschoten's Voy. 170/2 We saw..many Sea-wolues [orig. zeewoluen], which they hold for certain signes of the cape de Bona Speranza. 1698 Froger Voy. 67 A great many Sea-wolves lying asleep on their backs, upon the surface of the water. 1725 Pope Odyss. xv. 517 The future food Of fierce sea-wolves [ϕώκῃσι], and monsters of the flood. 1771 tr. Pernety's Voy. Malouine Isl. (1773) 187 There are several kinds of sea wolves and lions. 1839 R. Hamilton Amphib. Carnivora 208 note, The Proboscis Seal or Elephant Seal..is also..the Sea-Wolf of Pernetty. |
4. quasi-arch. A pirate, sea-robber. Also in recent use, a privateer vessel.
| 1849–50 Alison Hist. Europe VIII. liii. §22. 418 Their enemies were talking about sea wolves and maritime skill. 1860 Longfellow Wayside Inn i. K. Olaf xix. vii, Sullenly answered Ulf, The old sea-wolf. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Sea-wolves, a name for privateers. 1884 Pall Mall G. 18 Sept. 5/2 Against fast sea-wolves of the Alabama type, we are tolerably secure. |