hunter-gatherer

Meanings

1. 1nouncountabletechnical

   A member of a society that survives by hunting wild animals and collecting wild plants, rather than farming.

   Grammar: Takes a: a hunter-gatherer; plural hunter-gatherers.

   Patterns

   • a society of hunter-gatherers

   Early humans were hunter-gatherers who moved with the seasons.

   The museum has an exhibit about hunter-gatherers of the Arctic.

   Some hunter-gatherers in Africa still live in small mobile groups.

2. 2adjectivebefore a nountechnical

   Relating to a way of life based on hunting and foraging.

   Grammar: Comes before the noun: a hunter-gatherer society.

   Patterns

   • hunter-gatherer society

   Hunter-gatherer groups tend to be small and move frequently.

   Studies of hunter-gatherer diets show high fiber intake.

Word forms

Common combinations

hunter-gatherer society

A hunter-gatherer society seldom stays in one place.

hunter-gatherer lifestyle

Fewer people follow a hunter-gatherer lifestyle today.

nomadic hunter-gatherers

Nomadic hunter-gatherers followed the herds.

hunter-gatherer ancestors

Our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate wild nuts.

transition from hunter-gatherer to farmer

The transition from hunter-gatherer to farmer took thousands of years.

Synonyms and how they differ

forager

Forager focuses on collecting food, whereas hunter-gatherer includes hunting too.

nomad

A nomad is any wanderer, whether herding or hunting, so the term is less precise.

huntsman

A huntsman only hunts, usually for sport or in a legend.

Opposites

Word family

hunt verb

to chase and kill animals for food

hunter noun

a person who hunts

gather verb

to collect things

gatherer noun

a person who collects wild food

Commonly confused: hunter-gatherer or hunter?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “hunter-gatherer”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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