cannibal

[ kan-uh-buh l ]

/ ˈkæn ə bəl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR cannibal ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person who eats human flesh, especially for magical or religious purposes, as among certain tribal peoples.

any animal that eats its own kind.

adjective

pertaining to or characteristic of a cannibal.

given to cannibalism.

Nearby words

cannelure, canner, cannery, cannes, cannetille, cannibal, cannibalism, cannibalize, cannikin, canning, canning basin

Origin of cannibal

1545–55; < Spanish caníbal, variant of caríbal, equivalent to canib-, carib- (< Arawak) + -al -al¹; from the belief that the Caribs of the West Indies ate human flesh

Related forms

can·ni·bal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cannibal

Amirpour's next project is one she bills as a “Texas cannibal love story.”
The Punk Behind Iran's Only Vampire Spaghetti Western-Style Love Story|Melissa Leon|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Fellow cops at the 26th Precinct in upper Manhattan wondered if they really had been working with a cannibal.
Why NYPD Couldn’t Cook The ‘Cannibal Cop’|Michael Daly|July 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The headline: "Three Englishmen Saved From Boiling Pot By Cannibal Chief, Who Was Friend at Oxford."
The Story Behind The World’s Greatest Headline|Brandy Zadrozny|January 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And cruder devices certainly deepen the effect of a name; Caliban is a rough anagram of “cannibal,” and Cassio contains an “ass.”
What’s in a Name? Writers and Their Anthroponymy|Anthony Paletta|February 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST

The Cannibal Cop may end up being saved by his own sick and shameful words.
Cannibal Cop May Be Saved by His Own Words|Michael Daly|February 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
From this horrible draught, swallowed in the ecstasy of triumph, Kau-ulu-fonua earned his surname of Fekai (the Cannibal).
Savage Island|Basil C. Thomson
It is as curious a fact that amongst the majority of cannibal people there is no equivalent for "thank you."
The Keepers of the King's Peace|Edgar Wallace
I believe in those days I would willingly have walked into the midst of a cannibal camp and taken my chance.
The Second String|Nat Gould
They were seen by the Rossel Islanders, pursued and captured, and slaughtered for the cannibal ovens, which were now never idle.
The Call Of The South|Louis Becke
He was wild and savage in appearance and manner as any cannibal Indian.
The Pathless Trail|Arthur O. (Arthur Olney) Friel

British Dictionary definitions for cannibal

cannibal

/ (ˈkænɪbəl) /

noun

a person who eats the flesh of other human beings
(as modifier)cannibal tribes

an animal that feeds on the flesh of others of its kind

Word Origin for cannibal

C16: from Spanish Canibales, name used by Columbus to designate the Caribs of Cuba and Haiti, from Arawak caniba, variant of Carib

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

cannibal

noun

adjective

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of cannibal

Related forms

Examples from the Web for cannibal

British Dictionary definitions for cannibal

cannibal

noun

Word Origin for cannibal