troglodyte
nounUK /ˈtɹɒɡlədaɪt/ · US /ˈtɹɑɡlədaɪt/
Etymology Learned borrowing from Latin Trōglodytae (“cave-dwelling people”), from Ancient Greek τρωγλοδύτης (trōglodútēs, “one who dwells in holes”), from τρώγλη (trṓglē, “hole”) + δύω (dúō, “to get into”).
1
A member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves or holes, a caveman.
2
Broadly Anything that lives underground.
- The cave was populated by albino scorpions, blind salamanders, and other troglodytes.
- Inhabited as early as the Gallo-Roman era, the caves of the troglodytes are slighted in guidebooks, naturally overshadowed by the chateaus of the kings.1997 September 11, Josephine Humphreys, “The Loire Valley, Land of Kings and Troglodytes”, in The New York Times Style Magazine:
3
The Eurasian wren, Troglodytes troglodytes.
4
Derogatory A reclusive, reactionary or out-of-date person, especially if brutish.
- Blair brought out the febrile intensity of Stanhope, wiring himself into his ever more circumscribed troglodyte world, speculating moodily on the worm that went down when it thought it was coming up. Robert Philp thought Blair's ...2013, John Rentoul, Tony Blair: Prime Minister, Faber & Faber, →ISBN:
5
Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences A person who chooses not to keep up to date with the latest software and hardware.
- Derived terms
- trog, troglodytic, troglodytish, troglodytism