cannibalise

Definition

To eat (parts of) another of one's own species.

Etymology

From cannibal + -ise.

Example Sentences

• "The female black widow spider is known to cannibalise the male."
• "to cannibalize an old laptop for parts"
• "According to our correspondent, at least one of the Type 2s has had to be cannibalised to facilitate repairs, as spares are often in short supply."