Hunt

Pronunciation

• IPA: /hÊŒnt/
• Rhymes: -ÊŒnt

Origin

From Middle English hunten, from Old English huntian ("to hunt"), from Proto-Germanic *huntōną ("to hunt, capture"), from Proto-Indo-European *kend- ("to catch, seize"). Related to Old High German hunda ("booty"), Gothic 𐌷𐌿𐌽𐌸𐍃 (hunþs, "body of captives"), Old English hūþ ("plunder, booty, prey"), Old English hentan ("to catch, seize"). More at hent, hint.

Full definition of hunt

Verb

1. To chase down prey and (usually) kill it.
• Bible, Genesis xxvii. 5Esau went to the field to hunt for venison.
• TennysonLike a dog, he hunts in dreams.
• 2010, Backyard deer hunting: converting deer to dinner for pennies per pound (ISBN 1449084354), page 10:State Wildlife Management Areas often offer licensed hunters the opportunity to hunt deer on public lands.
2. Her uncle is out hunting deer, now that it is open season.
3. To try to find something; search.
• William ShakespeareHe after honour hunts, I after love.
• 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, Mr. Pratt's Patients Chapter 1, I stumbled along through the young pines and huckleberry bushes. Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path that, I cal'lated, might lead to the road I was hunting for. It twisted and turned, and, the first thing I knew, made a sudden bend around a bunch of bayberry scrub and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn.
• 2004, Prill Boyle, Defying Gravity: A Celebration of Late-Blooming Women (ISBN 1578601541), page 119:My idea of retirement was to hunt seashells, play golf, and do a lot of walking.
• 2011, Ann Major, Nobody's Child (ISBN 1459271939):What kind of woman came to an island and stayed there through a violent storm and then got up the next morning to hunt seashells? She had fine, delicate features with high cheekbones and the greenest eyes he'd ever seen.
4. The little girl was hunting for shells on the beach.
   The police are hunting for evidence.
5. To drive; to chase; with down, from, away, etc.to hunt down a criminalHe was hunted from the parish.
6. (transitive) To use or manage (dogs, horses, etc.) in hunting.
• AddisonHe hunts a pack of dogs.
7. Did you hunt that pony last week?
8. To use or traverse in pursuit of game.He hunts the woods, or the country.

Derived terms

• hunt where the ducks are
• that dog won't hunt

Noun

1. The act of hunting.
2. A hunting expedition.
3. An organization devoted to hunting, or the people belonging to such an organization (capitalized if the name of a specific organization).

Derived terms

• treasure hunt