HOW TO USE THE DICTIONARY

To look up an entry in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, use the search window above. For best results, after typing in the word, click on the “Search” button instead of using the “enter” key.

Some compound words (like bus rapid transit, dog whistle, or identity theft) don’t appear on the drop-down list when you type them in the search bar. For best results with compound words, place a quotation mark before the compound word in the search window.

guide to the dictionary

hunt

(hŭnt)

v. hunt·ed, hunt·ing, hunts

v.tr.

1. To pursue (game) for food or sport.

2. To search through (an area) for prey: hunted the ridges.

3. To make use of (hounds, for example) in pursuing game.

4. To pursue intensively so as to capture or kill: hunted down the escaped convict.

5. To seek out; search for.

6. To drive out forcibly, especially by harassing; chase away: hunted the newcomers out of town.

v.intr.

1. To pursue game.

2. To make a search; seek.

3. Aerospace

a. To yaw back and forth about a flight path, as if seeking a new direction or another angle of attack. Used of an aircraft, rocket, or space vehicle.

b. To rotate up and down or back and forth without being deflected by the pilot. Used of a control surface or a rocket motor in gimbals.

4. Engineering

a. To oscillate about a selected value. Used of a machine, instrument, or system.

b. To swing back and forth; oscillate. Used of an indicator on a display or instrument panel.

1. The act or sport of hunting: an enthusiast for the hunt.

a. A hunting expedition or outing, usually with horses and hounds.

b. Those taking part in such an expedition or outing.

3. The hunting season for a particular animal: last year's deer hunt.

4. A diligent search or pursuit: on a hunt for cheap gas.

[Middle English hunten, from Old English huntian.]

Hunt, (James Henry) Leigh 1784-1859.

British writer and editor of the Examiner (1808-1821). He is known for his essays defending romanticism.

Hunt, (William) Holman 1827-1910.

British painter and cofounder of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. His works include The Light of the World (1854) and The Scapegoat (1856).

Hunt, Richard Morris 1827-1895.

American architect who designed numerous sumptuous mansions as well as an extension of the US Capitol (1855) and the base of the Statue of Liberty (1886).

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

American Heritage Dictionary Products

HOW TO USE THE DICTIONARY

THE USAGE PANEL

AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY APP

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY BLOG

INTERESTED IN DICTIONARIES?

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

American Heritage Dictionary Products