omnivorous

American  

[om-niv-er-uhs] / ɒmˈnɪv ər əs /

adjective

1. eating both animal and plant foods.

2. eating all kinds of foods indiscriminately.

3. taking in everything, as with the mind.

   an omnivorous reader.

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omnivorous British  

/ ɒmˈnɪvərəs /

adjective

1. eating food of both animal and vegetable origin, or any type of food indiscriminately

2. taking in or assimilating everything, esp with the mind

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Other Word Forms

• omnivorism noun
• omnivorously adverb
• omnivorousness noun

Etymology

Origin of omnivorous

First recorded in 1650–60; from Latin omnivorus “all-devouring”; equivalent to omni- + -vorous

Explanation

An omnivorous animal eats meat and plants — everything on the menu. The word omnivorous wears its meaning on its sleeve: omni means "all," and vorare is "to devour." It all comes together in the Latin word omnivorus — "all-devouring." Rarr! Polar bears are omnivorous, while pandas are herbivorous (eat only plants). People love to say they're carnivorous (eat only meat) when they're probably really omnivorous (unless they really do kick the French fries off the plate every time). Since omnivorous means "devouring everything," you can use it to describe someone with a very curious mind, who wants to "devour" everything with their brain, not their teeth.

Example Sentences

Reviewing the staging of the show at the Guggenheim, our critic said “the Chicago-born artist has an omnivorous intellect, one that he proudly displays in this presentation.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026

These include improved markers of cardiovascular health when compared with omnivorous diets that include meat, fish, and other animal-derived foods.

From Science Daily • Dec. 21, 2025

What it offered instead was a point of view, one that was visionary and omnivorous.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2025

Chimps, Goodall went on to discover, are omnivorous, just like us.

From Salon • Oct. 1, 2025

While they are largely omnivorous, anything as rich and full of energy as straight heart meat could not be ignored, and after a week the two birds left.

From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen