trog·lo·dyte (trŏg'lə-dīt')
n.

1. 1. A member of a fabulous or prehistoric race of people that lived in caves, dens, or holes.
   2. A person considered to be reclusive, reactionary, out of date, or brutish.
2. 1. An anthropoid ape, such as a gorilla or chimpanzee.
   2. An animal that lives underground, as an ant or a worm.

[From Latin Trōglodytae, a people said to be cave dwellers, from Greek Trōglodutai, alteration (influenced by trōglē, hole , and -dutai, those who enter) of Trōgodutai.]

troglodytic trog'lo·dyt'ic (-dĭt'ĭk) or trog'lo·dyt'i·cal (-ĭ-kəl) adj.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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