hunt

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
hunt/hʌnt/

▶verb

• 1 pursue and kill (a wild animal) for sport or food.

  ■ (of an animal) chase and kill (its prey).

• 2 search diligently for.

  ■ (of the police) search for (a criminal).

  ■ (hunt someone down) pursue and capture someone.

  ■ (as adj. hunted) appearing alarmed or harassed as if being hunted.

• 3 (of a device or system) oscillate about a desired speed, position, or state.

• 4 (hunt down/up) (in change-ringing) move the place of a bell in a simple progression.

▶noun an act of hunting.

■ an association of people who meet regularly to hunt, especially with hounds.

■ an area where hunting takes place.

– origin OE huntian, of Gmc origin.