a person who hunts game or other wild animals for food or in sport.
a person who searches for or seeks something.
a fortune hunter.
a horse specially trained for quietness, stamina, and jumping ability in hunting.
an animal, as a dog, trained to hunt game.
Astronomy. Hunter, the constellation Orion.
Also called hunting watch. a watch with a hunting case.
John, 1728–93, Scottish surgeon, physiologist, and biologist.
Robert Mercer Taliaferro 1809–87, U.S. political leader: Speaker of the House 1839–41.
a male given name.
Female equivalent: huntress. a person or animal that seeks out and kills or captures game
a person who looks diligently for something
( in combination )
a fortune-hunter
a specially bred horse used in hunting, usually characterized by strength and stamina
a specially bred dog used to hunt game
Also called: hunting watch. a watch with a hinged metal lid or case ( hunting case ) to protect the crystal See also half-hunter
John. 1728–93, British physician, noted for his investigation of venereal and other diseases
his brother, William. 1718–83, British anatomist and obstetrician
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English huntere; see hunt, -er 1
A hunter is someone who seeks, pursues, or looks for something. Some hunters hunt deer but if you're a bargain hunter, you love to search department stores and yard sales for really good deals. Besides hunting for bargains, or for ghosts in her grandparents' attic, a hunter is also a person who enjoys the sport of pursuing and killing game animals and birds. Some hunters hunt for food, while others do it for fun. In Old English, the word was hunta, from huntian, "chase game," which is related to hentan, "to seize."
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Real people became characters: Henry Kissinger seemed to enjoy it; Hunter S. Thompson resented it; Frank Sinatra threatened legal action; Donald Trump called Mr. Trudeau a “sleazeball” and a “third-rate talent.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026
The federal government charged a man named Munson Hunter with 10 counts of bank and wire fraud for a series of business transactions.
From Slate • Jun. 18, 2026
However, the stock’s strong performance suggests investors aren’t looking to make quick profits on their shares, Hunter writes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026
Hunter said the young man handed over about £1,300 to prevent the footage being shared.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
Washington even suggested that Hunter tell his British case officer that he got the information because American officers “are very incautious in speaking of the strength of their regiments.”
From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
