Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Like a wolf; wolfish; ravenous.
  • In zoology, pertaining to the series or group of canine animals which contains the wolves, jackals, and dogs, as distinguished from the foxes; thoöid.
  • noun A plant of the genus Lupinus.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Wolfish; ravenous.
  • noun (Bot.) A leguminous plant of the genus Lupinus, especially Lupinus albus, the seeds of which have been used for food from ancient times. The common species of the Eastern United States is Lupinus perennis. There are many species in California.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Of, or pertaining to, the wolf.
  • adjective Wolflike; wolfish.
  • adjective Having the characteristics of a wolf.
  • adjective Ravenous.
  • noun Any leguminous plant of the genus Lupinus, some poisonous.
  • noun An edible lupine seed.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective of or relating to or characteristic of wolves
  • noun any plant of the genus Lupinus; bearing erect spikes of usually purplish-blue flowers

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Latin lupīnus, from lupus ("wolf").

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Examples

  • I couldn't see the wolves, nor was I expert enough in lupine vocalization to determine whether their yelps signaled a chase or something else.

    Phil Caputo: Old Age and Elk Hunting in the Rocky Mountains 2007

  • Part of the charm of the lupine is the continual stir of its plumes to airs not suspected otherwhere.

    The Land of Little Rain 1903

  • Part of the charm of the lupine is the continual stir of its plumes to airs not suspected otherwhere.

    The Land of Little Rain Mary Hunter Austin 1901

  • The lupine is another of those interesting plants which go to sleep at night.

    Wild Flowers Worth Knowing Neltje Blanchan 1891

  • When older wolves can no longer hunt successfully, younger wolves share their kill with them, in what MacNulty describes as a lupine version of Social Security.

    EurekAlert! - Breaking News 2009

  • When older wolves can no longer hunt successfully, younger wolves share their kill with them, in what MacNulty describes as a lupine version of Social Security.

    Signs of the Times 2009

  • It was made of barley; certain herbs, such as lupine and skirret, were used as substitutes for hops.

    Smith's Bible Dictionary 1884

  • _ "In plant-lore 'lupine' means wolfish, and is suggestive of the Evil One."

    Selections from the Poems and Plays of Robert Browning Robert Browning 1850

  • Mom wrote about choosing lupine flowers for her blog's background over the pink breast cancer ribbon theme expected of her.

    More Than a Pink Ribbon 2011

  • There's "character development" to break up the lupine action, though, as plane-crash survivors cope with their Alaskan version of Deliverance.

    This week's new films 2012

Comments

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  • I have even used this word in scrabble

    December 9, 2006

  • Flower; wolf-like.

    November 22, 2007

  • The lupine force their prey supine.

    July 13, 2010