herbivore

[ hur-buh-vawr, -vohr ]

noun

1. a herbivorous animal.

herbivore

/ ˈhɜːbɪˌvɔː /

noun

1. an animal that feeds on grass and other plants
2. informal.
   a liberal, idealistic, or nonmaterialistic person

herbivore

/ hûr′bə-vôr′,ûr′- /

1. An animal that feeds mainly or only on plants. In a food chain, herbivores are primary consumers.
2. Compare carnivore

herbivore

1. A living thing that eats only plants. Cattle, sheep, and horses are herbivores.

Word History and Origins

Origin of herbivore¹

1850–55; < New Latin herbivorus; herb, -i-, -vore

Word History and Origins

Origin of herbivore¹

C19: from New Latin herbivora grass-eaters

Example Sentences

In fact, she reasoned, it was likely that early humans used tools for both purposes—the strict dichotomy between herbivores and carnivores in our past was never clean-cut.

From Nautilus

The gene helps plants neutralize and safely store certain toxic molecules they use to deter herbivores.

From Science News

Anteosaurus probably had leaner limbs than related herbivores so it seems that this animal could have been capable of running bursts, he says.

From Science News

With vast deserts stretching north and south of the equator, Kent says, there would have been few plants available for the herbivores to survive the journey north for much of that time period.

From Science News

With no tasty reward to offer, and no ants to protect the cotton from hungry herbivores, these plants suffered the most damage compared with native plants that didn’t have the transgene.

From Science News

Are young Americans ready to move off the competitive playing field and onto the herbivore pastureland?

From The Daily Beast

A garbage can is an herbivore grazing on stalks of ringworm.

From Project Gutenberg

In this way the great enemies of the individual herbivore are not the carnivores, but the other herbivores.

From Project Gutenberg

There are a few species of rodent-like animals—they're scavengers—and a herbivore we called the woods goat.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• fruitarian
• vegan
• vegetarian