carcass

Or car·case

[kahr-kuhs]

noun

1. the dead body of an animal.

2. Slang.,  the body of a human being, whether living or dead.

3. the body of a slaughtered animal after removal of the offal.

4. anything from which life and power are gone.

   The mining town, now a mere carcass, is a reminder of a past era.

5. an unfinished framework or skeleton, as of a house or ship.

6. the body of a furniture piece designed for storage, as a chest of drawers or wardrobe, without the drawers, doors, hardware, etc.

7. the inner body of a pneumatic tire, resisting by its tensile strength the pressure of the air within the tire, and protected by the tread and other parts.

verb (used with object)

1. to erect the framework for (a building, ship, etc.).

carcass

/ ˈkɑːkəs /

noun

1. the dead body of an animal, esp one that has been slaughtered for food, with the head, limbs, and entrails removed

2. informal,  a person's body

3. the skeleton or framework of a structure

4. the remains of anything when its life or vitality is gone; shell

Other Word Forms

• carcassless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of carcass¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; from Middle French carcasse, from Italian carcassa; replacing Middle English carkeis, carkois, from Anglo-French, corresponding to Medieval Latin carcosium; ultimately origin obscure

Word History and Origins

Origin of carcass¹

C14: from Old French carcasse, of obscure origin

Synonym Study

See body.

Example Sentences

Usually whale carcasses are disposed of by the landowner but scientists, who hold a licence from Natural England, are allowed to take animal bones for scientific and educational purposes if permission is granted.

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Tamer wolves would get more food, and the humans gradually came to rely on the wolves to clean up remains of messy carcasses and to raise the alarm if a predator came near.

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There is a strong stench of rotting flesh coming from a sheep's carcass that has been left to entice red kites to feed here.

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The cattle shortage has led companies to try to cut costs and scrape every morsel of meat off each cattle carcass.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

She stretched her wide wings and glided off to search for carcasses.

Read more on Literature

Related Words

• frame 
• framework 
• hulk 
• skeleton 
• structure