cannibal
[ kan-uh-buhl ]
/ ˈkæn ə bəl /
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.
QUIZZES
DON’T VACILLATE! VANQUISH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!
It’d be a real faux pas to miss this quiz on the words from August 3–9, 2020!
Question 1 of 7
What does “vacillate” mean?
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
OTHER WORDS FROM cannibal
can·ni·bal·ly, adverbWords nearby cannibal
cannelure, canner, cannery, Cannes, cannetille, cannibal, cannibalism, cannibalize, cannikin, canning, Canning Basin
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for cannibal
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