A werewolf is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature. The transformation may be temporary or permanent and the appearance may range from very human to total wolf. They may be forced into beast form by a full moon or as in older tales, able to transform at will. A werewolf may be a savage crazed beast with an insatiable hunger unable to control themselves or they may be fully aware of their actions and in complete control of themselves. They may be able to speak in beast form, partially, or not at all and in more recent fiction often have a weakness to silver.
Methods for becoming a werewolf vary widely in folklore from the removal of clothing and putting on a belt made of wolf skin, rubbing the body with a magic salve, being cursed by malignant sorcerer, as divine punishment, through the bite/scratch of another werewolf, etc.
In antiquity a werewolf could be cured of their affliction through various means such as rigorous exercise, medicinally with the use of wolfs-bane, surgically, by exorcism, being struck on the forehead or scalp with a knife, piercing the hands with nails, being addressed by its name three times, being scolded, conversion to a different faith/deity, etc.