carcass

American  

[kahr-kuhs] / ˈkɑr kəs /

Or carcase

noun

1. the dead body of an animal.

2. Slang. the body of a human being, whether living or dead.

3. the body of a slaughtered animal after removal of the offal.

4. anything from which life and power are gone.

   The mining town, now a mere carcass, is a reminder of a past era.

5. an unfinished framework or skeleton, as of a house or ship.

6. the body of a furniture piece designed for storage, as a chest of drawers or wardrobe, without the drawers, doors, hardware, etc.

7. the inner body of a pneumatic tire, resisting by its tensile strength the pressure of the air within the tire, and protected by the tread and other parts.

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verb (used with object)

1. to erect the framework for (a building, ship, etc.).

carcass British  

/ ˈkɑːkəs /

noun

1. the dead body of an animal, esp one that has been slaughtered for food, with the head, limbs, and entrails removed

2. informal a person's body

3. the skeleton or framework of a structure

4. the remains of anything when its life or vitality is gone; shell

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Related Words

See body.

Other Word Forms

• carcassless adjective

Etymology

Origin of carcass

First recorded in 1250–1300; from Middle French carcasse, from Italian carcassa; replacing Middle English carkeis, carkois, from Anglo-French, corresponding to Medieval Latin carcosium; ultimately origin obscure

Example Sentences

Some birds traveled up to 155 kilometers in a single day, flying in direct paths toward places where a carcass was likely to appear, even though the exact timing of a kill cannot be predicted.

From Science Daily • Mar. 19, 2026

Because deer are smaller and can be eaten more quickly, this change reduces the amount of time cougars spend at a carcass, lowering the chance that wolves will show up.

From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026

But the precise nature of the spear and the carcass are never directly investigated, and a surprising number of pages go by in which they are barely mentioned.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

"We have not seen one single carcass of any animal," Aucamp said.

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026

I was slumped over the table, like a gloomy carcass.

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon

Related Words

• frame
• framework
• hulk
• skeleton
• structure