venat-, vener-

1. Pertaining to the devotion of stalking certain animals as a source of food: Kevin has venatic interests and often engages in hunting for sport and for nutritional reasons.
2. Descriptive of, or pertaining to hunting in ancient Roman times: The drawings on the wall in the temple depicted the venatic activities of Romans who were carrying spears and chasing wild animals. © ALL rights are reserved.
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A reference to the involvement with hunting; venatic: George usually took his venatical equipment with him when he went through the forest, but this time he just wanted to take a nice walk with his wife.

Descriptive of how the actions of hunting take place: Tom told his father that he was interested in his uncle's hobby of stalking or tracking down wild animals, and wanted to take part venatically in his uncle's attempts of finding any animal.

Hunts involving the slaughter of animals, especially fierce ones by other animals or by human "bestiarii" or fighters of wild beasts and sometimes of criminals by animals which were a major spectacle in Rome from 186 B.C.: The venationes supposedly displayed the ingenuity and generosity of a sponsoring politician and the reign of Rome and its power over nature by procuring exotic species (lions, panthers, bears, bulls, crocodiles, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, and elephants).

Referring to the inclination of hunting: Take a rabbit, deer, or fox, etc. and let them be kept among the hounds in their kennel so that the venatious appetite of them is not excited, and they will not meddle with them.

1. A hunter or a huntsman: Mary's father was a venator, but she didn't like his job of killing any animals.
2. A Roman gladiator: Sharon read in her history book that a venator was once an ancient Roman soldier who specialized in hunting wild animals, and was not only a professional combatant in Roman times.

Connected with hunting or with the chase: In the story Grace was reading, the huntsmen gathered together on their horses to enjoy the venatorial activity with the dogs running ahead of them.

A reference to the sport of hunting: Men are venatory creatures and there are venatory skills when stalking animals.

1. Terms of the hunt and groups referred to as: "nouns of multitude", "group terms", and "terms of venery".
2. Etymology: from venery, "practice or sport of hunting, the chase" from early 14th century; from Old French venerie, which came from Latin venari, "to hunt".

There are many group names from traditional terms of the hunt and some current creations that attempt to describe group characteristics.

Such historical nomenclature, or terminology, called Venereal Terms [listed at this page] or Terms of Venery, were said to refer to a gathering of "group names" or collective nouns from the hunt and social functions.

For more information about this segment, see Historical background for terms of Venery.

Venereal terms, or the language of the chase (hunt), were in general use as well-established hunting terms. The names were considered to be the proper terms for groups of beasts, fish, fowls, insects, or whatever was designated and they were "codified in the fifteenth century".

1. The act or sport of hunting; the chase; the practice of hunting, or the animals hunted.
2. Etymology: from venery, "hunting" [archaic], "to hunt"; from Latin venari, "to hunt, to pursue"; the act, art, or sport of hunting; "love for the pursuit [hunt]".

Don't confuse this word with another venery which refers to "the pursuit of or indulgence in sexual pleasure".

1. Deer meat used for food: Mr. Wild was able to shoot a deer, and after preparing it, the venison was of a high quality.
2. The flesh of any edible game: The meat of any kind of wild animal that has been hunted, and not raised domestically, for example an antelope, can be termed venison.
3. Etymology: from French venaison which came from Latin venatio, venationis, "hunting", from venatus, venari, "hunt, to hunt".