troglodyte
trog·lo·dyte (träg′lə dīt′)
noun
- any of the prehistoric people who lived in caves; cave man
- a person who chooses to live alone in seclusion; recluse
- anyone who lives in a primitive or degenerate fashion
- an anthropoid ape
Etymology: L troglodyta < Gr trōglodytēs, one who creeps into holes, cave dweller < trōglē, a hole, cave (< trōgein, to gnaw < IE *trōg- < base *ter-, to rub, grind > throw) + dyein, to creep in, enter
Related Forms:
- troglodytic trog′·lo·dyt′ic (-dit′ik) adjective or troglodytical trog′·lo·dyt′i·cal
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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