Gunhunters

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. People who hunt animals with firearms for sport or food ; individuals who track and seize wanted fugitives for a bounty or reward
2. Those who shoot game with rifles or shotguns ; those who chase down escaped criminals in hopes of collecting a payment
3. Sportsmen armed with firearms who stalk wild animals ; bounty seekers who relentlessly pursue fugitives to bring them in for money

Etymology: Gunhunters is a plain compound: "gun" plus "hunters," meaning people who hunt for guns, or who track down and pursue firearms. The sense is new enough that it reflects modern concerns rather than older usage, and it is not a term with an ancient pedigree. "Gun" traces back to a Middle English short form of the Scandinavian-influenced name "Gunnild," which was used as a nickname for a woman, and by the 1400s "gunne" was applied to large weapons. "Hunter" is an Old English word from "huntian," with roots in the same family as "hunt" and "hent," meaning to seize. Because both parts are old and transparent, the compound needs no special invention: the words sit side by side and their meanings combine directly. The compound appears in print mainly in the 20th and 21st centuries, most often in journalism and in discussions of firearm trafficking and bounty-style pursuit. Its exact first recorded date is uncertain.

Synonyms: hunters