troglodyte

[ trog-luh-dahyt ]
/ ˈtrɒg ləˌdaɪt /

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

1545–55; < Latin trōglodyta < Greek trōglodýtēs one who creeps into holes, cave dweller, equivalent to trōglo- (combining form of trṓglē a gnawed hole; 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-uh m] /ˈtrɒg lə daɪˌtɪz əm/, noun

Words nearby troglodyte

Example sentences from the Web for troglodyte

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

Derived forms of troglodyte

troglodytic (ˌtrɒɡləˈdɪtɪk) or troglodytical, adjective

Word Origin for troglodyte

C16: via Latin from Greek trōglodutēs one who enters caves, from trōglē hole + duein to enter