caveman

Everyday

1. A person from very long ago, in the Stone Age, who is imagined as living in caves. tree →
2. (informal) A rough or old-fashioned man with rude manners. tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons, early humans in the Stone Age sometimes sheltered in caves and made cave paintings, but many lived in huts and tents too. In cartoons, cavemen often wrongly live with dinosaurs. Calling someone a caveman teases them for being rough.

Examples

• Cavemen painted animals on the walls. tree →
• The caveman made a spear from flint. tree →
• In the cartoon, a caveman rode a dinosaur. tree →
• Stone Age people did not all live in caves. tree →
• Stop eating like a caveman! tree →
• We built a caveman shelter in the woods. tree →

Note

Plural: cavemen. Myth trap: people and dinosaurs never lived at the same time. Many historians prefer «Stone Age people».