hunter

Etymology

From Middle English hunter, huntere, honter, equivalent to hunt + -er. Compare Old English hunta (“hunter”).

noun

1. One who hunts game for sport or for food; a huntsman or huntswoman.
2. A dog used in hunting.
3. A horse used in hunting, especially a thoroughbred, bred and trained for hunting.
   ‘His favourite Hunter who was turned out in the park on his going abroad, somehow or other fell ill […] .’ c. 1792–3, Jane Austen, ‘Catharine, or The Bower’, Juvenilia
   Henry, laughing, spurs away his hunter under the dripping trees. 2009, Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall, Fourth Estate, published 2010, page 480
4. One who hunts or seeks after anything.
   The hunter becomes the hunted.
   a fortune hunter
5. (psychology) A person who bottles up their aggression and eventually releases it explosively.
   Coordinate term: howler
   Although their behavior does not have the same impact as hunters, howlers nevertheless distract the public figure and compel security and law enforcement […] 2008, J. Reid Meloy, Lorraine Sheridan, Jens Hoffmann, Stalking, Threatening, and Attacking Public Figures, page 121
   Hunters stalk their targets, make detailed plans, acquire and practice with weapons, and try to hurt or kill people. Howlers make bomb threats to schools, malls, churches, businesses, and government offices. 2015, Steve Albrecht, Library Security: Better Communication, Safer Facilities
6. A kind of spider, the huntsman or hunting spider.
7. A pocket watch with a spring-hinged circular metal cover that closes over the dial and crystal, protecting them from dust and scratches.