hunt

¹

[ huhnt ]

verb (used with object)

1. to chase or search for (game or other wild animals) for the purpose of catching or killing.

   Synonyms: track, pursue

2. to pursue with force, hostility, etc., in order to capture (often followed by down ):

   They hunted him down and hanged him.

3. to search for; seek; endeavor to obtain or find (often followed by up or out ):

   to hunt up the most promising candidates for the position.

4. to search (a place) thoroughly.
5. to scour (an area) in pursuit of game.
6. to use or direct (a horse, hound, etc.) in chasing game.
7. Change Ringing. to alter the place of (a bell) in a hunt.

verb (used without object)

1. to engage in the pursuit, capture, or killing of wild animals for food or in sport.
2. to make a search or quest (often followed by for or after ).
3. Change Ringing. to alter the place of a bell in its set according to certain rules.

noun

1. an act or practice of hunting game or other wild animals.
2. a search; a seeking or endeavor to find.
3. a pursuit.
4. a group of persons associated for the purpose of hunting; an association of hunters.
5. an area hunted over.
6. Change Ringing. a regularly varying order of permutations in the ringing of a group of from five to twelve bells.

Hunt

²

[ huhnt ]

noun

1. (James Henry) Leigh [lee], 1784–1859, English essayist, poet, and editor.
2. Richard Morris, 1828–95, U.S. architect.
3. (William) Holman [hohl, -m, uh, n], 1827–1910, English painter.
4. William Morris, 1824–79, U.S. painter (brother of Richard Morris Hunt).

hunt

¹

/ hʌnt /

verb

1. to seek out and kill or capture (game or wild animals) for food or sport
2. introften foll byfor to look (for); search (for)

   to hunt up a friend

   to hunt for a book

3. tr to use (hounds, horses, etc) in the pursuit of wild animals, game, etc

   to hunt a pack of hounds

4. tr to search or draw (country) to hunt wild animals, game, etc

   to hunt the parkland

5. troften foll bydown to track or chase diligently, esp so as to capture

   to hunt down a criminal

6. tr; usually passive to persecute; hound
7. intr (of a gauge indicator, engine speed, etc) to oscillate about a mean value or position
8. intr (of an aircraft, rocket, etc) to oscillate about a flight path

noun

1. the act or an instance of hunting
2. chase or search, esp of animals or game
3. the area of a hunt
4. a party or institution organized for the pursuit of wild animals or game, esp for sport
5. the participants in or members of such a party or institution
6. in the hunt informal.
   having a chance of success See also hunt down hunt up

   that result keeps us in the hunt

Hunt

²

/ hʌnt /

noun

1. HuntHenry17731835MBritishPOLITICS: radicalPOLITICS: orator Henry , known as Orator Hunt . 1773–1835, British radical, who led the mass meeting that ended in the Peterloo Massacre (1819)
2. Hunt(William) Holman18271910MBritishARTS AND CRAFTS: painter ( William ) Holman. 1827–1910, British painter; a founder of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (1848)
3. HuntJames19471993MBritishSPORT AND GAMES: racing driver James. 1947–93, British motor-racing driver: world champion 1976
4. Hunt(Henry Cecil) John, Baron19101998MBritishMILITARY: army officerSPORT AND GAMES: mountaineer ( Henry Cecil ) John , Baron. 1910–98, British army officer and mountaineer. He planned and led the expedition that first climbed Mount Everest (1953)
5. Hunt(James Henry) Leigh17841859MBritishWRITING: poetWRITING: essayist ( James Henry ) Leigh (liː). 1784–1859, British poet and essayist: a founder of The Examiner (1808) in which he promoted the work of Keats and Shelley

Derived Forms

• ˈhuntedly, adverb

Other Words From

• hunta·ble adjective
• hunted·ly adverb
• outhunt verb (used with object)
• over·hunt verb (used with object)
• un·hunta·ble adjective
• un·hunted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hunt¹

First recorded before 1000; (for the verb) Middle English hunten, Old English huntian, derivative of hunta “hunter,” akin to hentan “to pursue”; noun derivative of the verb

Word History and Origins

Origin of hunt¹

Old English huntian; related to Old English hentan, Old Norse henda to grasp

Idioms and Phrases

see happy hunting ground ; high and low, (hunt) ; run with (the hare, hunt with the hounds) .

Example Sentences

NSO sells Pegasus with the same pitch arms dealers use to sell conventional weapons, positioning it as a crucial aid in the hunt for terrorists and criminals.

From MIT Technology Review

Lawrence Corey, a virologist from Fred Hutchinson who was tapped by Warp Speed in July to head the US trials, says the vaccine hunt is moving quickly because scientists have been “planning for success.”

From MIT Technology Review

The letter, from Elliott deputy John Hemmerling, didn’t just promise a leak hunt for Hargrove’s sources.

From Voice of San Diego

The Arizona Diamondbacks were in the wild-card hunt a year ago and added Madison Bumgarner, Starling Marte and Kole Calhoun in the offseason to bolster their rotation and lineup.

From FiveThirtyEight

Others are on the hunt for what animal the virus jumped into people from, which can help scientists understand how the virus made the jump and guide policies to monitor those animals for related coronaviruses.

From Science News

The kid from next door drops by and Marvin talks to him about the stunts in his latest film, Death Hunt.

From The Daily Beast

The Federal Duck Stamp Act raised the fee on stamps needed to hunt waterfowl on federal land from $15 to $25.

From The Daily Beast

Jordanian intelligence played an important role in the hunt that eventually killed Zarqawi in Iraq in 2006.

From The Daily Beast

A team of cops swarmed the apartment in the hunt for a potential homicide suspect they believed was hiding in the residences.

From The Daily Beast

In her mind, the entire ordeal was a witch-hunt led by the local authorities.

From The Daily Beast

Mrs. Jolly Robin had often wished—when she was trying to feed a rapidly-growing family—that she could hunt forp.

From Project Gutenberg

When the whole hunt is hunting up, each single change is made between the whole hunt, and the next bell above it.

From Project Gutenberg

With these ten Hunts, the first change in each Peal is made by hunting the whole Hunt up.

From Project Gutenberg

This Peal (by the Rules aforesaid) may be Rang with any whole hunt, half hunt, and quarter hunt.

From Project Gutenberg

The half hunt is alwayes one of the two hindmost bells which makes every bob-change.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• exploration
• hunting
• inquiry
• interrogation
• investigation
• probe
• prosecution
• pursuit
• quest
• race
• raid