cannibalize
[ kan-uh-buh-lahyz ]
/ ˈkæn ə bəˌlaɪz /
Save This Word!
verb (used with object), can·ni·bal·ized, can·ni·bal·iz·ing.
to subject to cannibalism.
to remove parts, equipment, assets, employees, etc., from (an item, product, or business) in order to use them in another: to cannibalize old airplanes for replacement parts.
to cut into; cause to become reduced; diminish: New products introduced in the next six months will cannibalize sales from established lines.
verb (used without object), can·ni·bal·ized, can·ni·bal·iz·ing.
to act cannibalistically; practice cannibalism.
QUIZ
QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!
In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”
Question 1 of 7
The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.
Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing
Also especially British, can·ni·bal·ise .
OTHER WORDS FROM cannibalize
can·ni·bal·i·za·tion, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use cannibalize in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for cannibalize
cannibalize
cannibalise
/ (ˈkænɪbəˌlaɪz) /
verb
(tr) to use (serviceable parts from one machine or vehicle) to repair another, esp as an alternative to using new parts
Derived forms of cannibalize
cannibalization or cannibalisation, nounCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012