hunter
1 Americannoun
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a person who hunts game or other wild animals for food or in sport.
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a person who searches for or seeks something.
a fortune hunter.
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a horse specially trained for quietness, stamina, and jumping ability in hunting.
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an animal, as a dog, trained to hunt game.
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Astronomy. Hunter, the constellation Orion.
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Also called hunting watch. a watch with a hunting case.
noun
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John, 1728–93, Scottish surgeon, physiologist, and biologist.
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Robert Mercer Taliaferro 1809–87, U.S. political leader: Speaker of the House 1839–41.
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a male given name.
noun
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Female equivalent: huntress. a person or animal that seeks out and kills or captures game
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a person who looks diligently for something
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( in combination )
a fortune-hunter
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a specially bred horse used in hunting, usually characterized by strength and stamina
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a specially bred dog used to hunt game
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Also called: hunting watch. a watch with a hinged metal lid or case ( hunting case ) to protect the crystal See also half-hunter
noun
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John. 1728–93, British physician, noted for his investigation of venereal and other diseases
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his brother, William. 1718–83, British anatomist and obstetrician
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of hunter
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English huntere; see hunt, -er 1
Explanation
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."
Vocabulary lists containing hunter
Name That Job: Occupational Last Names
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Non-Color Words to Use When Describing Color
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The Origins of Civilization, Lessons 1–2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This would have served as an important feeding ground in the summer for animals such as mammoth, bison, horse, elk, and reindeer, and would have in turn drawn hunter gatherers toward the area.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
The actor said he's enjoying playing a range of roles, including Lobo, the intergalactic bounty hunter in the upcoming "Supergirl" film, which he described as "a childhood dream."
From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026
The species had adaptations linked to especially powerful jaw and neck muscles, making it a formidable hunter.
From Science Daily • May 23, 2026
But based on the success of the streaming series “The Mandalorian,” set around the title bounty hunter, we can all agree that his charge Grogu — green, wrinkled, big-eyed Baby You-Know-Who — is still adorable.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
That is why you are important: there must be a hunter like me; there must be a hunter who is human, who can go where I cannot go, see what I cannot see.
From "Pet" by Akwaeke Emezi
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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.