hunt

verb

• 1 [with object] pursue and kill (a wild animal) for sport or food:in the autumn they hunted deer
• British pursue (a wild animal, especially a fox or deer) on horseback using hounds: an old dog fox who had been hunted many times before [no object]:he used to hunt
• British use (a hound or a horse) for hunting: he hunted his hounds every day
• (of an animal) chase and kill (its prey):mice are hunted by weasels and foxes [no object]:lionesses hunt in groups

• 2 [no object] search determinedly for someone or something:he desperately hunted for a new job
• [with object] (of the police) search for (a criminal):the gang is being hunted by police [no object]:police are hunting for her attacker
• [with object] (hunt someone down) search for and capture someone: the killers will be hunted down

• 3 [no object] (of a device or system) oscillate about a desired speed, position, or state: on weak stereo signals this circuit can hunt over mono and stereo in a very disconcerting manner
• (of an aircraft or rocket) oscillate about a mean flight path.

• 4 [no object] (hunt down/up) (in change-ringing) move the place of a bell in a simple progression.

noun

• 1an act of hunting wild animals or game: a bear-hunt
• an association of people who meet regularly to hunt, especially with hounds.
• an area where hunting takes place.

• 2a search:police launched a hunt for the killer

• 3an oscillating motion about a desired speed, position, or state.