Definition of animal
- a political animal
- He's a party animal.
the animals in the zoo
the plants and animals of the forest
She loves all kinds of animals.
Fish, birds, insects, reptiles, mammals, and human beings are all animals.
You're all behaving like a bunch of animals.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'animal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Latin anima means “breath” or “soul,” and animalis, the adjective that comes from it, means “having breath or soul.” An animal such as a cat or dog can be seen to breathe. Plants breathe too, by taking in certain gases from the atmosphere and releasing others. However, this process cannot be observed by the naked eye. So the noun animal, which comes from animalis, was borrowed from Latin for that group of living beings that breathe visibly.
First Known Use: 14th century
in the meaning defined at sense 1
See Words from the same yearseveral different plant and animal species
milk, meat, and other animal products
People were shocked by the animal brutality of the attack.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'animal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use: 1581
in the meaning defined at sense 1
See Words from the same yearcerebral, inner, intellectual, mental, psychological (also psychologic);
bodiless, immaterial, incorporeal, insubstantial, spiritual;
ethereal, metaphysical, psychic (also psychical);
anatomic (or anatomical), physiological (or physiologic);
: a living thing that is not a human being or plant
: any living thing that is not a plant
: a person who behaves in a wild, aggressive, or unpleasant way
: of or relating to animals
: coming from the bodies of animals
: of or relating to the body and not to the mind
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for animal Spanish Central: Translation of animal Nglish: Translation of animal for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of animal for Arabic speakers
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