sea wolf

6.2

A large black-and-white whale that hunts other sea animals like seals and fish

noun
/siː wʊlf/

: orca

Tourists on the boat watched in awe as the sea wolf leaped out of the water.

Examples

In the chilly waters, a sea wolf hunted fish with remarkable agility and speed.
Yeah, they call him the sea wolf.

Anchors Aweigh (1945)
Well, you're a sea wolf.

Anchors Aweigh (1945)
The sea wolf swam gracefully alongside the fishing boat, showcasing its impressive size.

Synonyms

killer

vssea wolf

38 2.2

A large black-and-white whale that hunts other animals

is the fuller common name used in more formal contexts

orca

vssea wolf

25 3.4

A large black and white whale with sharp teeth that hunts other animals

is the less formal common term used for the same animal

killer whale

vssea wolf

20 3.2

A large black and white whale with teeth that hunts other sea animals

focuses on colder seas only rather than including temperate waters

Orcinus orca

vssea wolf

Specialized

1 6.0

A large black-and-white whale with teeth and a tall fin that hunts in groups

is the common name used in everyday speech rather than a scientific label

devilfish

vssea wolf

Archaic

1 8.7

A medium-sized black and grey whale that hunts in groups

refers to a larger black-and-white predatory species rather than that smaller northern whale

Surface Forms

sea wolf singular

sea wolves plural

Morphology

sea + wolf

The compound 'sea wolf' can be parsed as 'wolf of the sea', so a B1 learner who knows 'sea' and 'wolf' would likely infer a predatory marine animal. However, the precise identification as a killer whale/orca and specific attributes (black-and-white, large dorsal fin) are not directly derivable from the constituents and require lexical or cultural knowledge.

Etymology

Sea wolf is a name sailors gave to big black-and-white whales that hunt in groups like land wolves. They used sea and wolf to make a picture of a fierce pack hunter, so the name came to mean the 'killer whale'.