carnivore

[kahr-nuh-vawr]

noun

1. 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.

2. any animal that eats meat, fish, etc., especially as its primary source of food; meat-eater.

   alligators, snakes, and other reptilian carnivores.

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

carnivore

/ ˈkɑːnɪˌvɔː /

noun

1. 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

2. any other animal or any plant that feeds on animals

3. informal,  an aggressively ambitious person

carnivore

1. 1. 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.

   2. 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.

2. A plant that eats insects, such as a Venus flytrap.

carnivore

1. 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.

Other Word Forms

• carnivoral adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of carnivore¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of carnivore¹

C19: probably back formation from _carnivorous

Example Sentences

Tom Hibbert advises us to "be good to ladybirds as they are both beautiful and the gardeners' friend, keeping numbers of plant sucking bugs like aphids in check as they are voracious carnivores."

From BBC

Police found the man's body several yards beyond the campsite, with injuries like those from a "large carnivore attack", the sheriff's office said.

From BBC

The California Carnivores Program was founded in 2001 to focus on Southern California mountain lion conservation, but has since expanded to include other carnivore species.

From Los Angeles Times

He tried cutting out fast food and other ultra-processed foods, then he found the carnivore diet and began to fast.

From BBC

In a statement, the zoo's deputy director, Pia Nielsen, said the zoo's carnivores had been fed smaller livestock "for many years".

From BBC

Related Words

• carnivorous 
• flesh-eating www.thesaurus.com
• meat-eating www.thesaurus.com