insectivore

[ in-sek-tuh-vawr, -vohr ]

noun
  1. an insectivorous animal or plant.

  2. any mammal of the order Insectivora, comprising the moles, shrews, and Old World hedgehogs.

Origin of insectivore

1
1860–65; back formation from insectivorous; see -vore

Words Nearby insectivore

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How to use insectivore in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for insectivore

insectivore

/ (ɪnˈsɛktɪˌvɔː) /


noun
  1. any placental mammal of the order Insectivora, being typically small, with simple teeth, and feeding on invertebrates. The group includes shrews, moles, and hedgehogs

  2. any animal or plant that derives nourishment from insects

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 insectivore

insectivore

[ ĭn-sĕktə-vôr′ ]


  1. An animal or plant that feeds mainly on insects.

  2. Any of various small, usually nocturnal mammals of the order Insectivora that feed on insects and other invertebrates. Insectivores have long snouts and resemble rodents, but lack gnawing incisors. Moles, shrews, hedgehogs, and tenrecs are insectivores.

Other words from insectivore

  • insectivorous adjective

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