tufthunter
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A hanger-on to noblemen or persons of quality, especially in English universities; a toady.
Register: archaic, slang
Examples
The earl seeing the ecclesiastic abase himself before mere rank , clearly took him for a toady and a tufthunter
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “tufthunter” mean?
A hanger-on to noblemen or persons of quality, especially in English universities; a toady.
Is “tufthunter” formal or informal?
tufthunter is generally archaic, slang.