cannibal
Americannoun
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a person who eats human flesh, especially for magical or religious purposes, as among certain tribal peoples.
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any animal that eats its own kind.
adjective
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pertaining to or characteristic of a cannibal.
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given to cannibalism.
noun
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a person who eats the flesh of other human beings
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( as modifier )
cannibal tribes
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an animal that feeds on the flesh of others of its kind
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of cannibal
First recorded in 1545–55; from Spanish caníbal, variant of caríbal, from canib-, caribe (from Taíno; see Carib ( def. )) + -al -al 1; from the belief that the Caribs of the West Indies ate human flesh
Explanation
A cannibal is someone who eats human flesh. It’s a good idea not to get too friendly with one, especially if you’re covered in delicious-smelling spices. The word cannibal comes from the Spanish word caníbalis, which was Christopher Columbus’s version of the word Caribs, the name people from the Caribbean called themselves. They meant Carib as in “brave ones” so something got lost in translation! Most cannibals are fictional — like Queequeg from Moby Dick or Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs. This word can apply to animals that eat their own kind: for example, the cannibal shrimp eats other shrimp. Ew.
Vocabulary lists containing cannibal
"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell
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Milkweed
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Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
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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.
When he isn’t fetishizing the fictive cannibal Hannibal Lecter — “a wonderful man” — Donald Trump rhapsodizes over the gangster Al Capone.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2024
These cannibal dads had bulging bellies and a tendency to regurgitate the eggs when handled, the team reported in the American Naturalist.
From Scientific American • Oct. 1, 2023
Because like the cannibal girls, the song and its singer/songwriter have been terribly misunderstood.
From Salon • Mar. 27, 2023
From a cannibal romance to a Judy Blume classic, here are nine upcoming releases to watch for.
From Washington Post • Oct. 22, 2022
“The cannibal book, too. I followed my nose and the scent of the sea, all the way inside Quinzawoo’s room, under his bed, and into the secret compartment of his hidden suitcase. Easy!”
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
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.
