cannibal
Americannoun
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a person who eats human flesh, especially for magical or religious purposes, as among certain tribal peoples.
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any animal that eats its own kind.
adjective
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pertaining to or characteristic of a cannibal.
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given to cannibalism.
noun
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a person who eats the flesh of other human beings
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( as modifier )
cannibal tribes
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an animal that feeds on the flesh of others of its kind
Other Word Forms
- cannibally adverb
Etymology
Origin of cannibal
First recorded in 1545–55; from Spanish caníbal, variant of caríbal, from canib-, caribe (from Taíno; Carib ( def. ) ) + -al -al 1; from the belief that the Caribs of the West Indies ate human flesh
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.
When he isn’t fetishizing the fictive cannibal Hannibal Lecter — “a wonderful man” — Donald Trump rhapsodizes over the gangster Al Capone.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2024
These cannibal dads had bulging bellies and a tendency to regurgitate the eggs when handled, the team reported in the American Naturalist.
From Scientific American • Oct. 1, 2023
Because like the cannibal girls, the song and its singer/songwriter have been terribly misunderstood.
From Salon • Mar. 27, 2023
From a cannibal romance to a Judy Blume classic, here are nine upcoming releases to watch for.
From Washington Post • Oct. 22, 2022
“Lumawoo’s cannibal book, indeed! You heard the boy. The book is in her possession, yet she denied it to my very face, not an hour ago.”
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
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.
