carcass

American  

[kahr-kuhs] / ˈkɑr kəs /

Or carcase

noun

• carcasses
  plural

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.

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verb (used with object)

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

carcass British  

/ 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

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Synonym Usage

See body.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• carcassless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• carcasses
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of carcass

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

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Explanation

In the aftermath of Thanksgiving, after turkey sandwiches and turkey noodle soup and picking all the meat off, you're left with nothing more than turkey bones — or the carcass of your holiday bird. The gruesome word carcass is often used to describe the remains of a dead animal, especially one that's been slaughtered for food. But if that makes you squeamish, you can think of carcasses in a more figurative light, because a carcass could also mean "the inner structure of something." The carcass of an old burned out building, for example, refers to its remaining walls and beams. Or think of the carcass of the couch, its inner foundation, which is supporting your rear right now.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

carcass carcasses

It’s a lot easier to sell the trustees on “I got us to the playoff” than “I dragged the moldy carcass of our program to a half-filled stadium for the Toothpaste Bowl.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

The difference on carcass feeding days was substantial.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026

The carcass of a four-month-old calf, swarming with flies, lay half-devoured by hyenas.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

A meatpacker is the plant that slaughters the animal and breaks the carcass down into the cuts that reach shops or restaurants.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

I got up and kicked the snake carcass off the dock.

From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith

The research team - which included visiting Belgium Masters student Florence Demoulin from the University of Liege - observed three adult male lions at Monarto Safari Park before and after whole carcasses were introduced.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026

A new Australian study suggests that zoo lions behave more like their wild counterparts when they are given whole animal carcasses as part of a feast and fast feeding schedule.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026

As for the deer carcasses, some of the meat will feed endangered California condors, bald eagles and foxes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

Notably, neither scavengers nor flies that fed on the supposedly poisoned carcasses have perished -- creatures that typically succumb after consuming poisoned animals.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

But as we circled to receive our share of providence, the fat flanks of the magnificent beasts we’d stalked on the hill shrank to parched sinew, the gristle of drought-starved carcasses.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

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Related Words

• frame
• framework
• hulk
• skeleton
• structure

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