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

• 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

As nature’s clean-up crew, these creatures quickly and efficiently dispose of unsightly, smelly and disease-causing carcasses—without charging a dime. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 June 2025

While checking trail cameras from the Owl Mountains, wildlife officials found a photo of a large Eurasian griffon vulture standing next to a dead animal carcass, the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Wrocław said in a June 13 Facebook post. —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 16 June 2025

Huge, burly guys were tossing full carcasses out the backs. —Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 9 June 2025

The carcass was found by a member of the public near the La Jolla Shores parking lot on La Vereda near Camino del Oro, according to NOAA spokesman Michael Milstein. —Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2025

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