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carnivore
[ kahr-nuh-vawr, -vohr ]
/ ˈkɑr nəˌvɔr, -ˌvoʊr /
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noun
an animal that eats flesh.
a flesh-eating mammal of the order Carnivora, comprising the dogs, cats, bears, seals, and weasels.
an insectivorous plant.
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Origin of carnivore
1850–55; <Latin carnivoruscarnivorous
OTHER WORDS FROM carnivore
car·niv·o·ral [kahr-niv-er-uhl], /kɑrˈnɪv ər əl/, adjectiveWords nearby carnivore
carnitine, carnival, carnivalesque, carnival glass, Carnivora, carnivore, carnivorous, carnose, Carnot, Carnot cycle, Carnot engine
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use carnivore in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for carnivore
carnivore
/ (ˈkɑːnɪˌvɔː) /
noun
any placental mammal of the order Carnivora, typically having large pointed canine teeth and sharp molars and premolars, specialized for eating flesh. The order includes cats, dogs, bears, raccoons, hyenas, civets, and weasels
any other animal or any plant that feeds on animals
informal an aggressively ambitious person
Word Origin for carnivore
C19: probably back formation from carnivorous
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
Scientific definitions for carnivore
carnivore
[ kär′nə-vôr′ ]
- An animal that feeds chiefly on the flesh of other animals. Carnivores include predators such as lions and alligators, and scavengers such as hyenas and vultures. In a food chain, carnivores are either secondary or tertiary consumers. Compare detritivore herbivore.
- Any of various generally meat-eating mammals of the order Carnivora. Carnivores have large, sharp canine teeth and large brains, and the musculoskeletal structure of their forelimbs permits great flexibility for springing at prey. Many carnivores remain in and defend a single territory. Dogs, cats, bears, weasels, raccoons, hyenas, and (according to some classifications) seals and walruses are all carnivores.
A plant that eats insects, such as a Venus flytrap.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for carnivore
carnivore
[ (kahr-nuh-vawr) ]
A living thing that eats meat. Among mammals, there is an order of carnivores, including primarily meat-eating animals such as tigers and dogs. Some plants, such as the Venus's-flytrap, are carnivores.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.