hunter

noun

hunt·​er ˈhən-tər 

1

a

: a person who hunts game

b

: a dog used or trained for hunting

c

: a horse used or adapted for use in hunting with hounds

especially : a fast strong horse trained for cross-country work and jumping

2

: one that searches for something

3

: a pocket watch with a hinged protective cover

Synonyms

• huntsman
• nimrod

Examples of hunter in a Sentence

hunters must have a license to shoot deer

Recent Examples on the Web

This anthology film tells of three fierce human warriors – a vengeful Viking raider, a ninja in feudal Japan and an Allied pilot in World War II – who face off against a deadly alien hunter with otherworldly weaponry and a mean streak. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 13 May 2025

The hunter and jumper season will continue at HITS Del Mar with the Del Mar Sunshine Classic on July 9. —Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 May 2025

One of the seats will be reserved for a wildlife scientist, one for a conservationist, one for a hunter and angler and one for a rancher or farmer. —Tribune News Service, Boston Herald, 11 May 2025

Soon the warrior and hunter felt the need for a weapon that could reach a target a great distance away, or which lies invisible and protected behind barriers of every sort. —Rabbi Moishe Kievman, Sun Sentinel, 9 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing hunter

• anti-hunter
• bounty hunter
• fortune hunter
• head hunter
• hunter-gatherer
• hunter green
• white hunter

Rhymes for hunter

• bunter
• punter

Kids Definition

hunter

noun

hunt·​er ˈhənt-ər 

1

: a person who hunts

especially : one who hunts game

2

: a dog or horse used or trained for hunting

Geographical Definition

Hunter

geographical name

Hun·​ter ˈhən-tər 

river 287 miles (462 kilometers) long in eastern New South Wales, southeastern Australia, flowing east into the Pacific

Biographical Definition

Hunter

biographical name

Hun·​ter ˈhən-tər 

John 1728–1793 British anatomist and surgeon