carcass

American  

[kahr-kuhs] / ˈkɑr kəs /

Or carcase

noun

• carcasses
  plural

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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Synonym Usage

See body.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• carcassless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• carcasses
  plural

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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

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Explanation

In the aftermath of Thanksgiving, after turkey sandwiches and turkey noodle soup and picking all the meat off, you're left with nothing more than turkey bones — or the carcass of your holiday bird. The gruesome word carcass is often used to describe the remains of a dead animal, especially one that's been slaughtered for food. But if that makes you squeamish, you can think of carcasses in a more figurative light, because a carcass could also mean "the inner structure of something." The carcass of an old burned out building, for example, refers to its remaining walls and beams. Or think of the carcass of the couch, its inner foundation, which is supporting your rear right now.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

carcass carcasses

It’s a lot easier to sell the trustees on “I got us to the playoff” than “I dragged the moldy carcass of our program to a half-filled stadium for the Toothpaste Bowl.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

This produced one of the most detailed 24 hour datasets yet assembled for African lions in human care under a carcass feeding regime.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026

In Chobe, a wildlife-rich district in northern Botswana near the borders with Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe, a local MP raised concerns after residents reportedly collected portions directly from a carcass at a school.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

The site is now a hunk of twisted and blackened metal, surrounding a charred carcass of rubble.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

Dead intestine—this was the kind of thing you saw in a decayed carcass.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

The research team - which included visiting Belgium Masters student Florence Demoulin from the University of Liege - observed three adult male lions at Monarto Safari Park before and after whole carcasses were introduced.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026

But local media published images from different parts of Botswana showing residents gathering around elephant carcasses, some with knives in hand and sharing the meat.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

The results support a recent hypothesis that Neanderthals may have regularly eaten animal carcasses containing fly larvae.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026

Grizzly bears are — were — omnivores, not picky eaters, and also lazy ones, noshing on berries, roots, acorns, beached whale carcasses and any laggardly young elk.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

After the skins were peeled from the carcasses, I had an idea.

From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls

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Related Words

• frame
• framework
• hulk
• skeleton
• structure

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