carnivore

[ kahr-nuh-vawr ]

/ ˈkɑr nəˌvɔr /

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See synonyms for carnivore on Thesaurus.com

noun

any mammal of the order Carnivora that eats meat, fish, or other flesh, especially as its primary source of food: a category of mammals that includes dogs, cats, bears, seals, and weasels.Compare carnivoran (def. 1).

any animal that eats meat, fish, etc., especially as its primary source of food; meat-eater: alligators, snakes, and other reptilian carnivores.

any plant that traps and feeds on insects and/or arachnids, such as a Venus flytrap.

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Origin of carnivore

First recorded in 1850–55; from French, from Latin carnivorus carnivorous

OTHER WORDS FROM carnivore

car·niv·o·ral

[kahr-niv-er-uhl], /kɑrˈnɪv ər əl/, adjective

Words nearby carnivore

carnival, carnivalesque, carnival glass, Carnivora, carnivoran, carnivore, carnivorous, carnose, Carnot, Carnot cycle, Carnot engine

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use carnivore in a sentence

Meanwhile, the Upper Midwest population—which had been one of the last places the carnivores resisted eradication—rebounded.
Gray wolves are leaving the endangered species list. But should they?|Ula Chrobak|November 5, 2020|Popular-Science
Carrillo says the waning of sparassodonts may have left an opening for northern carnivores.
Why South America’s ancient mammals may have lost out to northern counterparts|Jake Buehler|November 4, 2020|Science News
Already, fast food chains are offering plant-based burgers that routinely wow the most inveterate carnivores, including newspaper food writers.
Why meat could be top of mind for voters in the upcoming election|jakemeth|September 5, 2020|Fortune
Quickly eating a lot of food can be useful for carnivores when food is scarce.
When it comes to downing hot dogs, science says there’s a limit|Jonathan Lambert|August 7, 2020|Science News For Students

Eating large quantities of food quickly can be a useful strategy for carnivores when food is scarce.
Competitive hot dog eaters may be nearing humans’ max eating speed|Jonathan Lambert|July 14, 2020|Science News
And where better to find that weapon than sharing the wild woods with our largest carnivore?
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear|Doug Peacock|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In Area D the child's right foot bones were discovered with "carnivore damage."
Did They Get Her?|Diane Dimond|June 15, 2011|DAILY BEAST
I love the animal charities for such a high-profile carnivore.
Rachael Ray vs. the Food World|Randall Lane|February 21, 2011|DAILY BEAST
It is more subtle in its operation but of the same order of ruthlessness as the ravages of a carnivore.
Makers of British Botany; a collection of biographies by living botanists|Various
A mutter became a growl, teeth gleamed—those cruel teeth of a carnivore to whom they were weapons of aggression.
Storm Over Warlock|Andre Norton
Each carnivore has its own worms, as it has its own prey which introduces them.
Animal Parasites and Messmates|P. J. Van Beneden
The pirate-wasp was a carnivore, but this was the season when the wasps raised young.
The Forgotten Planet|Murray Leinster
His early life, the life of a predatory carnivore, had been an unthinkingly happy one.
The Model of a Judge|William Morrison

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.

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.

carnivore

Origin of carnivore

OTHER WORDS FROM carnivore

Words nearby carnivore

Words related to carnivore

How to use carnivore in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for carnivore

Word Origin for carnivore

Scientific definitions for carnivore

Cultural definitions for carnivore