herbivore

American  

[hur-buh-vawr, -vohr] / ˈhɜr bəˌvɔr, -ˌvoʊr /

noun

1. a herbivorous animal.

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herbivore British  

/ ˈhɜːbɪˌvɔː /

noun

1. an animal that feeds on grass and other plants

2. informal a liberal, idealistic, or nonmaterialistic person

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herbivore Scientific  

/ hûr′bə-vôr′,ûr′- /

1. An animal that feeds mainly or only on plants. In a food chain, herbivores are primary consumers.

2. Compare carnivore detritivore

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herbivore Cultural  

1. A living thing that eats only plants. Cattle, sheep, and horses are herbivores.

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Etymology

Origin of herbivore

1850–55; < New Latin herbivorus; herb, -i-, -vore

Example Sentences

"They're herbivores, so they feed on lots of different vegetation, so you'll often see piles of sticks with the bark chewed off."

From BBC

The other was hunting large herbivores, a factor that has often been overlooked.

From Science Daily

Even so, Tyrannoroter was unlikely to have been a strict herbivore.

From Science Daily

These fossils come from the Morrison Formation* in the United States and were used to reconstruct a detailed food web, showing how plants, herbivores, and carnivores were linked through feeding relationships.

From Science Daily

They often compensate villagers when carnivores kill their livestock or herbivores eat their crops.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• fruitarian
• vegan
• vegetarian