hunter-gatherer

noun

hunt·​er-gath·​er·​er ˈhən-tər-ˈga-t͟hər-ər How to pronounce hunter-gatherer (audio)
: a member of a culture in which food is obtained by hunting, fishing, and foraging rather than by agriculture or animal husbandry

Examples of hunter-gatherer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Archaeological evidence from Eastern Siberia’s Cis-Baikal region shows that some ancient hunter-gatherer groups treated dogs and even wolves with mortuary care comparable to that given to humans. Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025 The remains, which came from hunter-gatherer communities, were found in tightly crouched or squatting postures and appear to have been smoke-dried over fire before burial in a process of mummification, the researchers said. Christian Orozco, NBC news, 18 Sep. 2025 The study finds that hunter-gatherer groups across southern China and Southeast Asia practiced prolonged, low-temperature smoke-drying of corpses between roughly 12,000 and 4,000 years ago, with some remains at certain sites possibly dating back about 14,000 years. Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2025 The study found that hunter-gatherer societies between 12,000 and 4,000 years ago practiced smoke-drying techniques to preserve the dead. Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hunter-gatherer

Word History

First Known Use

1938, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hunter-gatherer was in 1938

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Cite this Entry

“Hunter-gatherer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hunter-gatherer. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

hunter-gatherer

noun
hunt·​er-gath·​er·​er
-ˈgat͟h-ər-ər,
-ˈget͟h-
: a member of a culture in which food is gotten by hunting, fishing, and gathering rather than by agriculture

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