Main Entry: ¹an·i·mal

Pronunciation: \ˈan-ə-məl\

Function: noun

1 : any of a kingdom (Animalia) of living things including many-celled organisms and often many of the single-celled ones (as protozoans) that typically differ from plants in having cells without cellulose walls, in lacking chlorophyll and the capacity for photosynthesis, in requiring more complex food materials (as proteins), in being organized to a greater degree of complexity, and in having the capacity for spontaneous movement and rapid motor response to stimulation
2 a : one of the lower animals as distinguished from human beings b : mammal ; broadly : vertebrate