hunter-gatherer

noun

hunt·​er-gath·​er·​er ˈhən-tər-ˈga-t͟hər-ər How to pronounce hunter-gatherer (audio)
: a member of a culture in which food is obtained by hunting, fishing, and foraging rather than by agriculture or animal husbandry

Examples of hunter-gatherer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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For hunter-gatherers, especially those who relied heavily on meat, animal fats were a vital energy source. Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 12 July 2025 Archaeologists suspect the carcasses were intentionally processed to extract the marrow and grease trapped inside their bones, which would have provided important nutrients to hunter-gatherers. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 July 2025 But a handful of the other large digging sticks don’t look like anything archaeologists have seen at other Paleolithic sites, or in the hands of modern hunter-gatherers. ArsTechnica, 7 July 2025 The substance was even more essential for hunter-gatherers, such as Neanderthals, who likely depended heavily on animal foods. Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 4 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for hunter-gatherer

Word History

First Known Use

1938, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hunter-gatherer was in 1938

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Cite this Entry

“Hunter-gatherer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hunter-gatherer. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

hunter-gatherer

noun
hunt·​er-gath·​er·​er
-ˈgat͟h-ər-ər,
-ˈget͟h-
: a member of a culture in which food is gotten by hunting, fishing, and gathering rather than by agriculture

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