troglodyte

[ trog-luh-dahyt ]
See synonyms for troglodyte on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a prehistoric cave dweller.

  2. a person of degraded, primitive, or brutal character.

  1. a person living in seclusion.

  2. a person unacquainted with affairs of the world.

  3. an animal living underground.

Origin of troglodyte

1
First recorded in 1545–55; from Latin trōglodyta, from Greek trōglodýtēs “one who creeps into holes, cave dweller,” equivalent to trōglo- (combining form of trṓglē “a hole formed by gnawing”; cf. trogon) + dý(ein) “to creep into” + -tēs agent suffix

Other words from troglodyte

  • trog·lo·dyt·ic [trog-luh-dit-ik], /ˌtrɒg ləˈdɪt ɪk/, trog·lo·dyt·i·cal, adjective
  • trog·lo·dyt·ism [trog-luh-dahy-tiz-uhm], /ˈtrɒg lə daɪˌtɪz əm/, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for troglodyte

troglodyte

/ (ˈtrɒɡləˌdaɪt) /


noun
  1. a cave dweller, esp one of the prehistoric peoples thought to have lived in caves

  2. informal a person who lives alone and appears eccentric

Origin of troglodyte

1
C16: via Latin from Greek trōglodutēs one who enters caves, from trōglē hole + duein to enter

Derived forms of troglodyte

  • troglodytic (ˌtrɒɡləˈdɪtɪk) or troglodytical, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012