definitions

carnassial

[ kahr-nas-ee-uh l ]
/ kɑrˈnæs i əl /
Zoology
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adjective

(of teeth) adapted for shearing flesh.

noun

a carnassial tooth, especially the last upper premolar or the first lower molar tooth of certain carnivores.

RELATED WORDS

ivory, snag, tush, tusk, molar, premolar, fang, cuspid, bicuspid, incisor, eyetooth

Nearby words

carnal knowledge, carnallite, carnap, carnaroli, carnarvon, carnassial, carnatic, carnation, carnauba, carneades, carnegie

Origin of carnassial

1840–50; < French carnassi(er) flesh-eating (< Provençal, equivalent to carnasse augmentative derivative of carn flesh, meat (< Latin carn-, stem of carō) + -ier -ary) + -al1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for carnassial

British Dictionary definitions for carnassial

carnassial

/ (kɑːˈnæsɪəl) /

adjective

zoology of, relating to, or designating the last upper premolar and first lower molar teeth of carnivores, which have sharp edges for tearing flesh

noun

a carnassial tooth

Word Origin for carnassial

C19: from French carnassier meat-eating, from Provençal, from carnasso abundance of meat, from carn meat, flesh, from Latin carō
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