different between hunter vs mercenary

English

Etymology

From Middle English hunter, huntere, honter, equivalent to hunt +? -er. Compare Old English hunta (“hunter”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?h?nt?/, [?h????]
• Hyphenation: hun?ter
• Rhymes: -?nt?(r)

Noun

hunter (plural hunters, feminine huntress)

1. One who hunts game for sport or for food; a huntsman or huntswoman.
2. A dog used in hunting.
3. A horse used in hunting, especially a thoroughbred, bred and trained for hunting.
   • 1857-1859, William Makepeace Thackeray, The Virginians

     a sound, swift, well-bred hunter and roadster

   • 2009, Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall, Fourth Estate 2010, p. 480:

     Henry, laughing, spurs away his hunter under the dripping trees.

4. One who hunts or seeks after anything.

   The hunter becomes the hunted.

   a fortune hunter

   • ?, Alfred Tennyson, Lancelot and Elaine

     No keener hunter after glory breathes.

5. (psychology) A person who bottles up their aggression and eventually releases it explosively.

   Coordinate term: howler

   • 2008, J. Reid Meloy, Lorraine Sheridan, Jens Hoffmann, Stalking, Threatening, and Attacking Public Figures (page 121)

     Although their behavior does not have the same impact as hunters, howlers nevertheless distract the public figure and compel security and law enforcement […]

   • 2015, Steve Albrecht, Library Security: Better Communication, Safer Facilities

     Hunters stalk their targets, make detailed plans, acquire and practice with weapons, and try to hurt or kill people. Howlers make bomb threats to schools, malls, churches, businesses, and government offices.

6. A kind of spider, the huntsman or hunting spider.
7. A pocket watch with a spring-hinged circular metal cover that closes over the dial and crystal, protecting them from dust and scratches.

Hyponyms

• fortune hunter
• headhunter
• white hunter

Derived terms

• demi-hunter
• half-hunter
• headhunter

Related terms

• hunted
• hunting

Translations

See also

• hunter on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Middle English

Etymology

From hunten +? -er.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?hunt?r/

Noun

hunter (plural hunters)

1. hunter

Descendants

• English: hunter

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin merc?n?rius (“hired for money”), from merc?s (“reward, wages, price”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m??.s?.n?.?i/, /?m??.s?n.?i/
• (General American) enPR: mûr?s?-n?r'?, IPA^(key): /?m?s??n??i/
• Hyphenation: mer?ce?na?ry

Noun

mercenary (plural mercenaries)

1. (archaic) One motivated by gain, especially monetary.
2. A person employed to fight in an armed conflict who is not a member of the state or military group for which they are fighting and whose primary motivation is private gain.
3. (figuratively) One hired to engage in a figurative battle, as a corporate takeover, a lawsuit, or a political campaign.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:mercenary

Hyponyms

• condottiere, freelance, gallowglass, Landsknecht, lansquenet, Mamertine, routier, turcopole

Translations

Adjective

mercenary (comparative more mercenary, superlative most mercenary)

1. Motivated by private gain.

Synonyms

• (motivated by private gain): greedy, venal
• (hired for a figurative battle): hired gun

Translations

See also

• soldier

Further reading

• mercenary at OneLook Dictionary Search
• mercenary in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.