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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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.
Darrion Williams had 10 points and nine rebounds, and Cambridge added 10 points and eight rebounds for Texas Tech.
From Washington Times • Nov. 23, 2023
Said teammate Darrion Trammell: “When we are at each other’s weddings and we’re done with all this, we’re going to come back and remember that moment.”
From Washington Post • Apr. 1, 2023
Their top two scorers, Matt Bradley and Darrion Trammell, are also products of the transfer portal.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 26, 2023
Darrion Trammell and San Diego State used a dominant defensive performance to knock out All-America freshman Brandon Miller and top overall seed Alabama.
From Washington Times • Mar. 25, 2023
Darrion Trammell scored 18 points to lead the Aztecs, while Matt Bradley added 11 as San Diego State won a sixth straight.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 25, 2023
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.
