pothunter

English

Etymology

From pot +‎ hunter – in hunting sense, “for the (cooking) pot (to eat)”; in the archeology sense, “seeking old pots (to sell)”.

Noun

pothunter (plural pothunters)

1. A person who hunts animals for food (for the pot) rather than as sport.
2. (sports, by extension) A person who competes solely to win prizes.
3. (archaeology) A person who seeks artifacts for their personal collection or to sell without regard to their cultural importance.
   • 2007 December 12, Anthony Depalma, “An Island in the Hudson, Plundered in Search of Indian Artifacts”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

     But hundreds, perhaps thousands of artifacts have been taken by amateur pothunters, whose activities can disturb the soil and ruin the chance of serious research.

Related terms

• (hunting for food): pot shot, potshot
• pothunting