carcass

noun

car·​cass ˈkär-kəs 

1

: a dead body : corpse

especially : the dressed body of a meat animal

Butchers trimmed the meat from the carcass.

2

: the living, material, or physical body

It was nearly noon when he finally hauled his carcass out of bed.

3

: the decaying or worthless remains of a structure

the carcass of an abandoned automobile

4

: the underlying structure or frame of something (as of a piece of furniture)

Synonyms of carcass

• corpse

Examples of carcass in a Sentence

the rusting carcass of an old truck

the carcass of a squirrel that had been run over

Recent Examples on the Web

Investigators claim Maguire frequently used a crossbow to shoot the animals from his vehicle before removing only the heads and leaving the carcasses behind. —Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026

Despite the mothballed plant's handsome brick exterior, inside it's filled with rattling pipes, hazard signs and cockroach carcasses. —Ishan Thakore, NPR, 20 May 2026

Scientists say those figures likely underestimate the true toll as many whale carcasses sink or are swept back out to sea before they are ever found or reported. —ABC News, 20 May 2026

Martin acknowledged piling bison carcasses in a gulley for erosion control. —Logan Smith, CBS News, 18 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English carcays, from Anglo-French carcas, carkeis

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for carcass

• arcus

Kids Definition

carcass

noun

car·​cass ˈkär-kəs 

: a dead body

especially : the body of a meat animal prepared for market

Medical Definition

carcass

noun

car·​cass ˈkär-kəs 

: a dead body : corpse

especially : the dressed body of a meat animal