nimrod
(noun)
A skilful hunter.
‘nimrods take to the field after everything from prairie dogs to grizzly bears’
(OED)
Origin
Late 16th century: from Hebrew Nimrōḏ, the name of the great-grandson of Noah, known for his skill as a hunter (see Gen. 10:8-9).
From Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
Definition of Nimrod
1 : a descendant of Ham represented in Genesis as a mighty hunter and a king of Shinar
2 not capitalized : hunter
3 not capitalized, slang : idiot, jerk
Did You Know?
Nimrod is described in Genesis as "the first on earth to be a mighty man" and "a mighty hunter before the Lord." It's easy to see how people made the leap from one mighty hunter in the Bible to calling any hunter a nimrod. A lesser-known fact is that nimrod has seen some use in English as a noun meaning "tyrant" (apparently, the mighty Nimrod was not reputed to be an especially benevolent king), although that sense is now essentially obsolete. The legendary Nimrod is also sometimes associated with the attempt to build the Tower of Babel. Because the tower resulted in the wrath of the Lord and proved a disastrous idea, nimrod is sometimes used with yet another meaning: "a stupid person."
From Online Etymology Dictionary:
"great hunter," 1712, a reference to the biblical son of Cush, referred to (Genesis x.8-9) as "a mighty hunter before the Lord." It came to mean "geek, klutz" by 1983 in teenager slang, for unknown reasons. (Amateur theories include its occasional use in "Bugs Bunny" cartoon episodes featuring rabbit-hunting Elmer Fudd as a foil; its possible ironic use, among hunters, for a clumsy member of their fraternity; or a stereotype of deer hunters by the non-hunting population in the U.S.