I. hunt 1 W3 /hʌnt/ BrE AmE verb
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: huntian ]
1 . [intransitive and transitive] to chase animals and birds in order to kill or catch them:
the slopes where I hunted deer as a kid
Wolves tend to hunt in packs (=hunt in groups) .
2 . [intransitive] to look for someone or something very carefully SYN search
hunt for
The kids were hunting for shells on the beach.
Detectives are busy hunting for clues.
3 . [intransitive and transitive] to search for and try to catch a criminal or someone who is your enemy:
The police are still hunting the killer.
hunt for
The FBI were called in to hunt for the spy.
4 . [intransitive and transitive] British English to hunt ↑ fox es as a sport, riding on horses and using dogs
hunt somebody/something ↔ down phrasal verb
to search for a person or animal until you catch them, especially in order to punish or kill them:
The government agency was created to hunt down war criminals.
hunt somebody/something ↔ out phrasal verb
1 . to search for someone or something in order to catch, kill, or destroy them:
The plane was on a mission to hunt out enemy submarines.
2 . to search for and find something that you need or want, but that is difficult to find:
In the school library he hunted out books on politics.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ search to look carefully for someone or something:
Detectives continue to search for clues.
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She searched through all his clothes.
▪ look for somebody/something to try to get someone or something you want or need:
I’m looking for something to wear for my sister’s wedding.
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The band is looking for a singer.
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He’s decided to look for a new career.
▪ try to find somebody/something used especially when someone or something is difficult to find:
I spent half an hour trying to find a parking space.
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She was in the kitchen, trying to find something to eat that wasn’t raw carrot.
▪ seek formal to try to find something or someone. Used especially about jobs, help, or information. Also used in newspaper advertisements when trying to find a suitable person:
They went there seeking work.
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She decided to seek help.
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Tall blond 18-year-old male seeks female 17+ for friendship.
▪ hunt to look for someone or something. Used when you look very carefully and thoroughly, or in the phrase house/job/bargain hunting :
I’ve hunted everywhere, but I can’t find a recipe for French onion soup.
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She’s gone out bargain-hunting in the sales.
▪ be on the lookout for somebody/something to be continuously looking for someone or something:
I’m always on the lookout for a good bargain.
▪ leave no stone unturned to look for someone or something in every possible place:
The police say they will leave no stone unturned in their search for the killer.
II. hunt 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . an occasion when people chase animals in order to kill or catch them
lion/rhino/stag etc hunt
2 . [usually singular] a search for someone or something that is difficult to find
hunt for
the hunt for the missing child
the hunt is on (=used to say that people have started looking for someone or something)
murder hunt (=a search for a person who has killed someone)
have a hunt around for something British English informal (=look for something)
I’ll have a hunt around for it in my desk.
⇨ ↑ treasure hunt , ↑ witch-hunt
3 . a sporting event in Britain in which people ride on horses and hunt ↑ fox es using dogs
4 . in Britain, a group of people who regularly hunt ↑ fox es together