cave dweller

noun

1
: one (such as a prehistoric human) that dwells in a cave
2
: one that lives in a city apartment building

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Suddenly this obscure, blind cave dweller has become extremely interesting. Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 10 Feb. 2010 Even for a prehistoric cave dweller, the tablet could prove potently absorbing. Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2022 Rather his vain, bombshell wife Chrystal (Abbey Lee) is the one to watch, the physical wear and tear of aging propelling her to a vicious mental breakdown, devolving to a kind of monstrous cave dweller. Robert Daniels, Vulture, 24 July 2021 The discovery earns the bugs the unique honor of being the only cave dwellers ever described from the Cretaceous, the period spanning 66 to 145 million years ago and the final era of the non-avian dinosaurs. Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2020 Through eons of incremental innovation, a cave dweller’s sketching stick evolved into the No. Robert Lee Hotz, WSJ, 12 Sep. 2018 Lewisi, named after Lewis, is the 15th species discovered in the genus Islandiana and only the fifth cave dweller among them. Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 3 July 2018 The jewelry that the cave dwellers wore tells its own story of change. Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 11 May 2018 Lucky visitors might catch a glimpse of the few cave dwellers including bats and salamanders. Richard Tribou, OrlandoSentinel.com, 6 May 2018 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cave dweller.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cave dweller was in 1865

Dictionary Entries Near cave dweller

Cite this Entry

“Cave dweller.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cave%20dweller. Accessed 1 Apr. 2023.

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