Wolverine State

proper noun

Nickname for Michigan: a state of the United States.

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Meanings

proper nounthe Wolverine State
  1. informalNickname for Michigan: a state of the United States.

Origin

Michigan has a long-standing association with the wolverine: for example, many Detroiters volunteered to fight during the American Civil War and George Armstrong Custer, who led the Michigan Brigade, called them the "Wolverines". Perhaps originally from a local trade in wolverine fur, or perhaps suggesting a vicious temper.

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Cite this entry
APA

Wolverine State. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Wolverine%20State

MLA

“Wolverine State.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Wolverine%20State. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Wolverine State,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Wolverine%20State.

Source: Wolverine State on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.