carrion
Americannoun
-
dead and putrefying flesh.
-
rottenness; anything vile.
adjective
noun
-
dead and rotting flesh
-
(modifier) eating carrion
carrion beetles
-
something rotten or repulsive
Etymology
Origin of carrion
1175–1225; Middle English caroyne, careyn, carion < Anglo-French careine, Old French charo ( i ) gne < Vulgar Latin *caronia, equivalent to Latin carun- ( see caruncle) + -ia -y 3
Explanation
The noun carrion refers to the dead and rotting flesh of an animal. Ever seen a dead opossum or cat in the road? You can call that roadkill carrion. The word carrion comes from a Latin word caro, which means "meat," but carrion is usually considered unfit for human consumption. Birds of prey and other opportunistic animals will often have carrion as part of their diet, however. Sometimes the word carrion is used a little more metaphorically: "The soldiers were unable to retrieve the bodies of their fallen brothers, so they were left on the field of battle like so much carrion."
Vocabulary lists containing carrion
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Romeo and Juliet
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The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For carrion birds, war is a time of plenty, and Neriya senses that her adoption by the crows is a sort of refinement indulged in a thriving colony.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
Condors vanished from the state’s North Coast after the arrival of European settlers, who killed other animals with lead bullets and strychnine — poisoning the raptors that feed on carrion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2026
Published in the journal Journal of Human Evolution, the research takes a sweeping look at carrion consumption from the earliest hominins to modern humans.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 19, 2026
In the wild, its stench lures pollinators like carrion beetles and flies, which are drawn to the smell of rotting flesh.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2025
And suddenly they all rose up like ravens frightened from carrion and wheeled away, flapping, silent, in the direction that Serret in her gull-shape had flown.
From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
