caveman

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English[edit]

English Wikipedia has an article on:
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Etymology[edit]

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

Pronunciation[edit]

  • audio (US)(file)
  • Hyphenation: cave‧man

Noun[edit]

caveman (plural cavemen)

  1. 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.
    • 2006, Harley Pasternak, The 5 Factor Diet‎[1], page 15:
      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.
    • 2010, Terence A. Shimp, Advertising, Promotion, and Other Aspects of Integrated Marketing Communications, 8th edition, Cengage Learning, page 154:
      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, Allen A. Debus, Prehistoric Monsters: The Real and Imagined Creatures of the Past That We Love to Fear‎[2], page 87:
      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.
  2. (informal, figuratively, derogatory) A person with backward, primitive behavior, opinions, or interests.
    • 2008, David E. Clarke, Cinderella Meets the Caveman: Stop the Boredom in Your Marriage and Jump, page 159:
      You think your Caveman is always chasing you for sex. Well, he is.
    1. (informal, figuratively, derogatory) A brutish person, one who behaves in a rough, uncivilized way.
      The football squad was made up of cavemen who were responsible for trashing many a locker room.
      • 1929, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, When the World Screamed‎[3]:
        "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."
    2. (informal, figuratively, derogatory) Someone, especially a man, who has regressive, old-fashioned attitudes, particularly with regard to women; someone opposed to change or modernity.
      Old Sven is a bit of a caveman; he figures giving women the right to vote was a bad idea.
      Pat is a real caveman when it comes to tech, and refuses to get a smartphone.

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