Meaning of hunt In English

• 0 to chase and try to catch and kill an animal or bird for food, sport, or profit:

  • Some animals hunt at night.

  • When lion cubs are young, the mother stays with them while the father hunts for food.

  • Jack and Charlie like to hunt/go hunting (= chase and kill animals for sport) at weekends.

  • Cats like to hunt mice and birds.

  • Elephants used to be hunted for the ivory from their tusks.

• 1 to try to find something or someone:

  • I've hunted all over the place, but I can't find that book.

  • They are still hunting for the missing child.

  • I've hunted high and low (= looked everywhere) for my gloves.

  • Police are hunting the terrorists who planted the bomb.

  • I'll try and hunt out (= find) those old photographs for you.

  • They have spent months house-/job-hunting (= looking for a house/a job).

• 2 a search for something or someone:

  • After a long hunt we finally found a house we liked.

  • The hunt for the injured climber continued throughout the night.

  • Police are on the hunt (= searching) for the kidnappers.

  • The hunt is on (= the search has started) for the Mayor's successor.

• 3 the activity of people chasing wild animals in order to kill them:

  • to go on a fox/deer hunt

  • They are members of the local hunt.

• 4 to chase or search for a wild animal or bird with the intention of killing or catching it for food, sport, or profit:

  • [ I ] He hunts every weekend.

  • [ T ] Cats like to hunt mice and birds.

• 5 to search for something or someone:

  • [ I ] I’ve hunted everywhere for the missing keys.

• 6 a chase or search for a wild animal or bird with the intention of killing or catching it:

  • a deer hunt

• 7 a search for something or someone:

  • The hunt for the injured climber continued through the night.