Meaning
To fend off poverty or harm, just scraping by.
Origin
From 15th-century England, tied to wolves; proverb by 1490s for want, as in a 1546 Heywood list. Wolves meant hunger's threat; it reflects a medieval wild and lean times.
Variants
- Wolf at door
Usage Examples
- This job keeps the wolf from the door.
- Keeping the wolf from the door-barely.
- Keep the wolf from the door; pay's tight.