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

• archer
• huntsman
• falconer

Examples of hunter in a Sentence

hunters must have a license to shoot deer

Recent Examples on the Web

How is the ice storm impacting hunters? —Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 15 Oct. 2025

Jeanroy tells me that only animals can smell truffles in the wild, as the delicacy grows up to a foot underground near tree roots; by law in France, hunters can use only pigs and dogs to find them. —Aislyn Greene, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025

Michael Meredith, an avid duck hunter, will teach basic calling techniques. —Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2025

And after selling at auction in 2007, the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in West Virgina began offering ghost tours to the public — and got a major boost in 2009, when a team of ghost hunters locked themselves inside for the night to record a live show. —Jen Rose Smith, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 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