cave man
1
4.3
- noun
- /ˈkeɪv mæn/
:
hombre de las cavernas
- That number of atoms is finite, and we have exactly the same number of atoms on the planet as The Cave man did, right?
- cave men and women
Examples
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Politics is what changes the system, not civil unrest, trespass, and living like cave men and women.
Blog text (13) -
Humankind seems quick to recognize and respond to the sorts of threats (military threats) that cave men and Neanderthals must also have been good at, but very slow indeed to recognize and respond to man-made (especially self-made) disasters.
Blog text (19) -
Stop acting like a cave man.
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- That's what the cave men used to have to do.
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Cave men used simple tools made from stones to hunt for food.
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In ancient times, cave men lived in groups to protect themselves from predators.
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The cave men painted vivid pictures on the walls of their dwellings using natural pigments.
Synonyms
41
3.9
A person who lived in caves a long time ago
9
9.9
A person who lives in a cave or who lives apart from others and is old-fashioned
1
6.0
A person or animal that lives in a cave, often in ancient times
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a prehistoric man who lived in caves' is directly and compositionally derived from 'cave' (a natural subterranean chamber) + 'man' (a human), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer someone associated with caves. This straightforward noun+noun compound is cross-linguistically common and follows regular English composition patterns, making it immediately comprehensible.
Etymology
Cave man comes from the clear image of a cave and a man living inside it long ago, making fire and simple tools. So, it means 'a prehistoric man', often from the 'Stone Age'.