Dictionary

caveman en · NOUN

Pronunciation

(US) audio
/ˈkeɪvˌmæn/ (General-American)

Etymology

From cave + man, based on the supposition that early humans dwelt in caves.

Meanings

An early human or closely related species, popularly held to reside in caves.
- The political cartoon showed the politician as a caveman, clubbing the budget depicted as a mammoth.
- For, in essence, the caveman concept implies the abhorrent—undignified human bestiality and a disquieting association with apelike ancestors. Cavemen have represented Darwin′s repugnant evolutionary ideals and even suggest civilisation′s tenuousness. 2010, Allen A. Debus, Prehistoric Monsters: The Real and Imagined Creatures of the Past That We Love to Fear, page 87:
- And who could forget those ads that featured sophisticated cavemen who were insulted—in a parody on political correctness—by “insensitive” offenders who implied that some action was “so easy, a caveman could do it.” 2010, Terence A. Shimp, Advertising, Promotion, and Other Aspects of Integrated Marketing Communications, 8th edition, Cengage Learning, page 154:
- CAVEMAN DIET The creators of this nutrition plan believe that cavemen and cavewomen were lean and healthy because of the all-natural foods they ate. 2006, Harley Pasternak, The 5 Factor Diet, page 15:
(derogatory, figuratively, informal) A person with backward, primitive behavior, opinions, or interests.
- You think your Caveman is always chasing you for sex. Well, he is. 2008, David E. Clarke, Cinderella Meets the Caveman: Stop the Boredom in Your Marriage and Jump, page 159:
(derogatory, figuratively, informal) A person with backward, primitive behavior, opinions, or interests. ▸ A brutish person, one who behaves in a rough, uncivilized way.
- "Bless you, he would think nothing of throwing you downstairs if you have a disagreement. He is a primitive cave-man in a lounge suit. I can see him with a club in one hand and a jagged bit of flint in the other." 1929, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, When the World Screamed:
- The football squad was made up of cavemen who were responsible for trashing many a locker room.
(derogatory, figuratively, informal) A person with backward, primitive behavior, opinions, or interests. ▸ Someone, especially a man, who has regressive, old-fashioned attitudes, particularly with regard to women; someone opposed to change or modernity.
- Pat is a real caveman when it comes to tech, and refuses to get a smartphone.
- Old Sven is a bit of a caveman; he figures giving women the right to vote was a bad idea.

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
cavemen	Number=Plur		lexicographic

Synonyms

male chauvinist (person with regressive opinions) · thug (brutish or savage person) · lout (brutish or savage person) · savage (brutish or savage person) · boor (brutish or savage person) · hominin (early humans or related species) · Neanderthal (brutish or savage person) · knuckle dragger (brutish or savage person) · troglodyte (brutish or savage person) · hominid (early humans or related species) · Neanderthal (early humans or related species) · troglodyte (early humans or related species) · Neanderthal (person with regressive opinions)

Translations (59)

fo holubúgvi (early humans or related species) · sv grottmänniska (early humans or related species) · sh пећинар (early humans or related species) · el άνθρωπος των σπηλαίων (early humans or related species) · fo hellisbúgvi (early humans or related species) · fr homme des cavernes (early humans or related species) · pt homem das cavernas (early humans or related species) · he איש מערות (early humans or related species) · grc τρωγλοδύτης (early humans or related species) · nb hulemenneske (early humans or related species) · sh пећинарка (early humans or related species) · es hombre prehistórico (early humans or related species) · ja 穴居人 (early humans or related species) · es cavernario (early humans or related species) · da hulemenneske (early humans or related species) · tr mağara adamı (early humans or related species) · es hombre de las cavernas (early humans or related species) · sh pećinar (early humans or related species) · cs jeskynní muž (early humans or related species) · cmn 穴居人 (early humans or related species) · ko 동굴 거주인 (early humans or related species) · ar رَجُل كَهْف (early humans or related species) · nn holemenneske (early humans or related species) · es cavernícola (early humans or related species) · mk пештерски човек (early humans or related species) · pl jaskiniowiec (a brutish or savage person) · it cavernicolo (early humans or related species) · pl jaskiniowiec (a man with old fashioned or backward opinions, particularly with regard to women) · lt urvinis žmogus (early humans or related species) · pt homem das cavernas (a brutish or savage person) · es hombre de las cavernas (a brutish or savage person) · fi luolamies (early humans or related species) · ca cavernícola (early humans or related species) · is hellisbúi (early humans or related species) · it troglodita (early humans or related species) · bg пеще́рен чове́к (early humans or related species) · hy քարանձավաբնակ (early humans or related species) · sq njeri i shpellave (early humans or related species) · nl holbewoner (early humans or related species) · pt homem das cavernas (a man with old fashioned or backward opinions, particularly with regard to women) · cy ogofwr (early humans or related species) · pt cavernícola (early humans or related species) · uk пече́рна люди́на (early humans or related species) · es troglodita (early humans or related species) · he אָדָם קַדְמוֹן (early humans or related species) · el σπηλαιάνθρωπος (early humans or related species) · ru троглоди́т (early humans or related species) · de Höhlenmensch (early humans or related species) · lv alu cilvēks (early humans or related species) · pl jaskiniowiec (early humans or related species) · hy անձավաբնակ (early humans or related species) · pl jaskiniowczyni (a brutish or savage person) · ru пеще́рный челове́к (early humans or related species) · lv troglodīts (early humans or related species) · sh pećinarka (early humans or related species) · gl cavernícola (early humans or related species) · ca home de les cavernes (a brutish or savage person) · da huleboer (early humans or related species) · pl jaskiniowczyni (early humans or related species)