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

Former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said there was "much to welcome" in Reeves' suggested reforms, though shadow chancellor Mel Stride has added that Conservatives will be "looking closely at the detail".

From BBC

The film didn’t even return key original cast members like Hunt or Bill Paxton, though there are callbacks to the original “Twister.”

From Los Angeles Times

And behind the scenes the club has to take huge credit for bringing back running back Kareem Hunt and trading for receiver DeAndre Hopkins to plug the gaps.

From BBC

Father-of-two David Stuart had welcomed Mr Hunt's proposal in March, saying it would make the system "fairer".

From BBC

Under Mr Hunt's plans, people who moved to the UK from April 2025 would not have to pay tax on money they earned overseas for the first four years.

From BBC

Related Words

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