insectivore

American  

[in-sek-tuh-vawr, -vohr] / ɪnˈsɛk təˌvɔr, -ˌvoʊr /

noun

1. an insectivorous animal or plant.

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

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insectivore British  

/ 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

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insectivore Scientific  

/ ĭn-sĕk′tə-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.

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Etymology

Origin of insectivore

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

Explanation

An insectivore is an animal that eats only or mainly insects. If chocolate-covered crickets are your thing, then go ahead and call yourself an insectivore (and good luck finding a date). A carnivore is an animal that eats other animals, and an insectivore is a more specific type of carnivore: one whose diet is mainly insects. Insectivores include many lizards, frogs, and spiders. A spider catching a bug in a web and a frog catching a fly with its tongue are two examples of insectivore behavior. Since there are millions of insects in the world, being an insectivore is a pretty good deal.

Example Sentences

This was, in technical terms, "a preliminary study of human digestive effects on a small insectivore skeleton", with "a brief discussion of the results and their archaeological implications".

From The Guardian • Aug. 18, 2012

The small representation of multituberculates, insectivores, and insectivore derivatives, however, may be attributed in part to the difficulties inherent in surface collecting of minute specimens.

From Preliminary Survey of a Paleocene Faunule from the Angels Peak Area, New Mexico by Wilson, Robert W.