recluse
recluse Lexical Profile
recluse Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person who lives a solitary life and tends to avoid other people and society.
"After publishing his bestselling novel, the author became a famous recluse who refused all interviews."
Any of various venomous spiders of the genus Loxosceles (family Sicariidae), native primarily to the Americas and warmer regions, characterized by six eyes arranged in pairs and a violin-shaped marking on the cephalothorax.
"While clearing out the dusty stack of firewood in the shed, he carefully watched out for a brown recluse."
• adjective
Withdrawn from society; seeking or preferring seclusion and solitude.
"During his final years, the poet led a quiet, recluse life in a remote mountain cabin."
Word Nuance & Usage
In modern English, 'recluse' is predominantly used as a noun while 'reclusive' is the preferred adjective form, except in established compound names like 'brown recluse'.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Old French 'reclus', from Late Latin 'reclusus', the past participle of 'recludere' ('to shut up or enclose'), formed from 're-' ('back') and 'claudere' ('to shut').