herbivore

noun

her·​bi·​vore ˈ(h)ər-bə-ˌvȯr How to pronounce herbivore (audio)
: a herbivorous animal

Examples of herbivore in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web And lately, as the rapidly changing climate greens the Arctic, these herbivores are thriving on a heaping smorgasbord of plants. Cheryl Katz, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Nov. 2023 All told, these were some of the most successful herbivores on the planet, Sereno says. Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 22 Feb. 2024 Though the herbivores only feast on veggies, groundhogs still have formidable teeth. USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2024 As a result, elephants and other herbivores more easily graze on the trees, leaving few trunks left in areas colonized by the big-headed ants. Popular Science, 25 Jan. 2024 The creatures were early mammal relatives and herbivores most commonly associated with the Early Jurassic period, which dates back to approximately 180 million years ago. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 9 Oct. 2023 It has been traditionally thought that these ancient sloths were herbivores. Conor Feehly, Discover Magazine, 7 Feb. 2024 In most cases, those abundant food sources are large herbivores. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 23 Aug. 2023 The trees consequently lose their mini defense system, inviting herbivores to consume them. Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 25 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'herbivore.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Herbivora, group of mammals, from neuter plural of herbivorus

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of herbivore was in 1854

Dictionary Entries Near herbivore

Cite this Entry

“Herbivore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/herbivore. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

herbivore

noun
her·​bi·​vore ˈ(h)ər-bə-ˌvō(ə)r How to pronounce herbivore (audio)
-ˌvȯ(ə)r
: a plant-eating animal

Medical Definition

herbivore

noun
: a plant-eating animal
especially : ungulate
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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