detectorist

noun

de·​tec·​tor·​ist di-ˈtek-t(ə-)rist 

plural detectorists

chiefly British

: one who uses a portable metal detector as a hobby

The trove was discovered in October near Watlington, 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of London, by 60-year-old James Mather, an amateur treasure-seeker who called the find "every detectorist's dream."

—Alastair Grant

The third, known as the Crosby Garrett Helmet, was found in a field in 2010 by a metal detectorist who wants to remain anonymous. It was sold at auction for $3.6 million.

—Brad Smithfield

Examples of detectorist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Instead of shell casings or coins, the two metal detectorists and history enthusiasts unearthed a three-foot-long Roman-era sword that dates back nearly 2,000 years. —Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Feb. 2025

See it On the Isle of Man, a metal detectorist uncovered a rare 2,000-year-old spoon used in fortune-telling rituals. —Stories By Real-Time News Team, With Ai Summarization, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2025

Two metal detectorists stumbled across a cache of coins dating back to Biblical times in a one-of-a-kind discovery, according to European officials. —Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 4 Feb. 2025

Following the detectorists’ initial discovery of 381 coins in the summer of 2023, the Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency, with the help of Koelink and Messelaar, conducted additional excavations in the surrounding areas, finding another 23 coins. —Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1984, in the meaning defined above