Dictionary

troglodyte en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈtɹɑɡlədaɪt/ (US)
• /ˈtɹɒɡlədaɪt/ (UK)
• /ˈtɹɒɡləʊdaɪt/ (UK)
• (US) audio
• /ˈtɹɑɡloʊdaɪt/ (US)

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”).

Meanings

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 (derogatory) A reclusive, reactionary or out-of-date person, especially if brutish.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. A person who chooses not to keep up to date with the latest software and hardware.

Forms

Deriveds

troglodytish · troglodytism · trog · troglodytic

Translations (44)

lv troglodīts (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · tr mağara adamı (reclusive or out-of-date person) · grc τρωγλοδύτης (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · uk троглоди́т (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · fr troglodyte (anything that lives underground) · ru отше́льник (reclusive or out-of-date person) · uk троглоди́т (reclusive or out-of-date person) · ru отше́льник (person who chooses not to keep up to date) · ru троглоди́т (reclusive or out-of-date person) · es cavernícola (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · gl troglodita (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · ro troglodită (reclusive or out-of-date person) · el τρωγλοδύτης (anything that lives underground) · ru пеще́рный челове́к (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · et koopaelanik (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · el τρωγλοδύτης (reclusive or out-of-date person) · nl holenmens (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · ro troglodit (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · pt troglodita (reclusive or out-of-date person) · ru троглоди́т (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · tr mağara adamı (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · fi troglodyytti (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · fr troglodyte (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · ro troglodit (reclusive or out-of-date person) · sv grottmänniska (reclusive or out-of-date person) · sv troglodyt (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · es troglodita (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · ja 隠者 (person who chooses not to keep up to date) · pl troglodyta (reclusive or out-of-date person) · es troglodita (reclusive or out-of-date person) · cmn 穴居人 (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · sv grottmänniska (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · sv stofil (reclusive or out-of-date person) · de Troglodyt (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · nl holbewoner (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · ro troglodită (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · fi fossiili (reclusive or out-of-date person) · fi luolamies (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · nb huleboer (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · ja 穴居人 (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · de Höhlenmensch (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · pt troglodita (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves) · es troglodita (anything that lives underground) · lv alu cilvēks (member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves)