Also called carcajou. a stocky, carnivorous North American mammal, Gulo luscus, of the weasel family, having blackish, shaggy hair with white markings.
2.
(initial capital letter) a native or inhabitant of Michigan (the Wolverine State) (used as a nickname).
Origin
1565-75; alteration of earlier wolvering (with -ine2 for -ing3), obscure derivative of wolf
Examples from the web for wolverine
The wolverine is a powerful animal that resembles a small bear but is actually the largest member of the weasel family.
Collects comics, pretends he's wolverine and draws cartoons for a living.
British Dictionary definitions for wolverine
wolverine
/ˈwʊlvəˌriːn/
noun
1.
a large musteline mammal, Gulo gulo, of northern forests of Eurasia and North America having dark very thick water-resistant fur Also called glutton
Word Origin
C16 wolvering, from wolf + -ing³ (later altered to -ine)
Word Origin and History for wolverine
n.
carnivorous mammal, 1610s, alteration of wolvering (1570s), of uncertain origin, possibly from wolv-, inflectional stem of wolf; or perhaps from wolver "one who behaves like a wolf" (1590s).