troglodyte

American  

[trog-luh-dahyt] / ˈtrɒg ləˌdaɪt /

noun

1. a prehistoric cave dweller.

2. a person of degraded, primitive, or brutal character.

3. a person living in seclusion.

4. a person unacquainted with affairs of the world.

5. an animal living underground.

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troglodyte British  

/ ˈtrɒɡləˌdaɪt, ˌtrɒɡləˈdɪtɪk /

noun

1. a cave dweller, esp one of the prehistoric peoples thought to have lived in caves

2. informal a person who lives alone and appears eccentric

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Other Word Forms

• troglodytic adjective
• troglodytical adjective
• troglodytism noun

Etymology

Origin of troglodyte

First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin trōglodyta, from Greek trōglodýtēs “one who creeps into holes, cave dweller,” equivalent to trōglo- (combining form of trṓglē “a hole formed by gnawing”; trogon ) + dý(ein) “to creep into” + -tēs agent suffix

Example Sentences

The villa was named troglodyte because it still means “living in a cave” in French, whereas in English the word has taken on the meaning of someone ignorant or prehistoric.

From Reuters

I see a shadow, hunched, like I imagine the local alien troglodytes to be.

From Nature

"These are decent, thoughtful people -- and not the doltish troglodytes that much of the media mocks ceaselessly."

From Fox News

As if people didn’t have enough to fear from the venom of social media, there’s the added risk that someone you love - who’s confused or emotionally vulnerable - can get suckered in by terrorism’s troglodytes.

From Washington Times

I suppose that’s what started me down a path of noticing the birds in my periphery: fear of being the troglodyte in a town full of Audubon-level birding enthusiasts.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• hermit