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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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.
With three first-round picks, the Mystics could consider a draft-and-stash here, and that might just be Carrion.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026
“All the parties that defended her have decided to let her go,” said Julio Carrion, a Peruvian political scientist at the University of Delaware.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025
Carrion crows can count out loud, effectively calling “one, two, three” as they caw, researchers report today in Science.
From Science Magazine • May 22, 2024
In collaboration with Texas Biomed Professor Ricardo Carrion, Jr., PhD, the team will analyze tissues from animal models for virus-containing nanotubes.
From Science Daily • Dec. 18, 2023
The Carrion Crow smelleth powder, 'tis said, Like a soldier escheweth the taste of cold lead; No jester, or mime, hath more marvellous wit, For, wherever he lighteth, he maketh a hit!
From Rookwood by Ainsworth, William Harrison
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.
