WordGarden.iofowler
C2Pronunciation
UK
US
- /ˈfaʊlər/
Meanings
Noun
a person who hunts or catches wild birds
Beyond the definition
A fowler is a person who hunts wild birds, especially ducks, geese, and other game birds. The word often suggests someone using skill, patience, and sometimes traps or nets, not just a general hunter. It is an old-fashioned word in modern English, so you are more likely to see it in history, literature, or stories about country life.
The word can also appear in a figurative way. In older religious or literary writing, a fowler may stand for someone who sets a trap for others or leads them into danger. This sense grows from the image of a bird hunter hiding snares for unsuspecting birds.
The word "fowler" refers to a person who hunts birds, especially wildfowl such as ducks, geese, and similar game birds. It usually means more than a general hunter. A fowler is often imagined as someone who knows bird habits, feeding places, migration patterns, and the best ways to catch or shoot them. In older use, this might include nets, snares, decoys, or firearms.
The term has a strong historical feel. It appears often in older writing, where hunting birds for food or sale was part of rural life. Because of that, the word now sounds somewhat archaic, and many modern speakers would simply say "bird hunter" or "hunter" instead. Still, "fowler" remains useful when the writing wants a precise or traditional tone.
However, "fowler" is not limited to literal hunting. In figurative language, especially in the Bible and other older texts, it can mean a person who lays traps for others, whether by deceit, temptation, or hidden danger. This meaning comes naturally from the literal image of a bird hunter setting snares out of sight.
So the word can describe either a real hunter of birds or, in a more literary sense, someone who traps people by tricking them. In both uses, the central idea is the same: patient skill directed toward catching an unwary target.
Examples
- 1
Bird hunting
At dawn, the fowler hid by the reeds and waited for the ducks to land.
- Usage
fowler is an old-fashioned word for someone who hunts wild birds
- 2
Literary character
In the novel, an aging fowler lives alone on the edge of the marsh.
- 3
Historical trade
Before hunting laws changed, local fowlers often sold their birds in town.
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- fowlernoun