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."
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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 animal, named Kank australis, appears to have been a fish hunter whose feeding habits may have resembled those of modern herons.
From Science Daily • May 29, 2026
A familiar bounty hunter from “The Clone Wars” animated series has also been spotted in the trailers for “The Mandalorian and Grogu.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
It smelt of hunter and prey and Fast Wet and tree, all chewed up together, and from it came a high, thin humming: so high that Wolf could only just catch it.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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.
