troglodyte
[ trog-luh-dahyt ]
noun
a prehistoric cave dweller.
a person of degraded, primitive, or brutal character.
a person living in seclusion.
a person unacquainted with affairs of the world.
an animal living underground.
Origin of troglodyte
1First 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
a cave dweller, esp one of the prehistoric peoples thought to have lived in caves
informal a person who lives alone and appears eccentric
Origin of troglodyte
1C16: 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
Browse