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cannibalize

[ kan-uh-buh-lahyz ]
/ ˈkæn ə bəˌlaɪz /
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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.
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Also especially British, can·ni·bal·ise .

Origin of cannibalize

First recorded in 1940–45; cannibal + -ize

OTHER WORDS FROM cannibalize

can·ni·bal·i·za·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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, noun
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
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