noun
caveman
KAYV-man
noun
1
A prehistoric human popularly imagined as living in caves.
"The museum exhibit showed how cavemen made tools from stone."
2
Informally, someone seen as crude, old-fashioned, or unrefined in their attitudes.
"He still has caveman views about who should do the housework."
How to Use Caveman
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA prehistoric cave-dweller, or, informally, someone with crude or outdated attitudes.
Common pairings
caveman diet
act like a caveman
caveman mentality
Word Forms
cavemen plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “caveman”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
He still has _____ views about who should do the housework.
Etymology
From cave + man, based on the idea that early humans lived in caves.