Hermit

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɜː(r)mɪt

Alternative forms

• eremite, heremit, heremite obsolete

Origin

From Old French eremite, from Latin eremita, from Ancient Greek ἐρημίτης (eremites, "person of the desert") from ἐρημία (eremia, "desert, solitude"), from ἔρημος or ἐρῆμος (eremos, "uninhabited") plus -ίτης (-itēs, "one connected to, a member of").

Full definition of hermit

Noun

1. A religious recluse; someone who lives alone for religious reasons; an eremite.
2. A recluse; someone who lives alone and shuns human companionship.
3. A spiced cookie made with molasses, raisins, and nuts.

Synonyms

• anchorite
• eremite
• recluse

Derived terms

• hermit crab
• hermit thrush
• hermit warbler
• hermitage
• hermitize

Anagrams

• mither