hunt
hunt Lexical Profile
hunt Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A thorough search for someone or something that is difficult to find.
"After graduating from college, she immediately began the hunt for an entry-level engineering job."
An act of chasing and capturing or killing wild animals for food or sport.
"Early human societies relied on a successful communal hunt to survive the harsh winter months."
British An association of people who meet regularly to pursue foxes or other game with hounds.
"The local hunt gathered at dawn on the estate grounds before setting off across the countryside."
• verb
To pursue and capture or kill wild animals for food, pelts, or sport.
"Owls typically hunt small rodents under the cover of darkness."
To search determinedly for someone or something.
"Historians spent decades trying to hunt down the lost manuscripts in European archives."
To oscillate or fluctuate irregularly around a desired speed or position (especially of an engine, control system, or mechanical governor).
"The worn carburetor caused the tractor engine to hunt noticeably while idling."
• Rhymes for hunt
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'huntian' (to chase game), derived from the Proto-Germanic root '*huntojanan', which is likely related to the Gothic verb 'fra-hinthan' (to capture or seize).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.