carnivore

/ˈkɑɹ.nɪ.voɹ/

UK: /ˈkɑː.nɪ.vɔː/

KⱭɹ · nɪ · voɹ (3 syllables)

English Noun Top 34,370
Ad

Definition

An organism that feeds chiefly on animals; an animal that feeds on meat as the main part of its diet.

Etymology

Borrowed from French carnivore, from Latin carnivorus. In the zoological sense, coined by William Whewell in 1840 as an adaptation of Cuvier's coinage, French carnivore.

Example Sentences

  • "As juveniles the crocodiles are frequently predated by larger carnivores."
  • "The panda and the panther are both carnivores."
  • "Well, she has now gone / From this unhappy planet / With all the carnivores / And the destructors on it"
Ad

Related Words