carcass

Or car·case

[kahr-kuhs]

noun

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.

verb (used with object)

1. to erect the framework for (a building, ship, etc.).

carcass

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• carcassless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of carcass¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of carcass¹

C14: from Old French carcasse, of obscure origin

Synonym Study

See body.

Example Sentences

Mexican survivors of floods and landslides that killed at least 66 people last week have appealed for urgent aid, saying they are worried about disease outbreaks as rotting animal carcasses pile up in the mud.

Read more on Barron's

Early humans often relied on animal carcasses for meat and tools, but clear evidence of such activities is rare and challenging to interpret in the archaeological record.

Read more on Science Daily

On a recent afternoon, more than 10 possum carcasses were piled up under one trap, set in a tree on the side of a road.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In the spring of 2023, horse carcasses emerged along the shores of South Tufa and nearby Navy Beach as the snow from a winter of biblical proportions melted.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He said that he and his daughter found the carcass with the skull already clean of skin earlier that afternoon.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• frame 
• framework 
• hulk 
• skeleton 
• structure