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carcass

noun
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car·​cass | \ ˈkär-kəs How to pronounce carcass (audio) \

Definition of carcass

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)
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Synonyms for carcass

Synonyms

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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 In July, the investigation team learned that Placencia previously used a lamb carcass to transfer drugs from Anchorage to Kodiak, the document says. — Zaz Hollander, Anchorage Daily News, "71-year-old Kodiak man hid heroin and meth in rancid meat, troopers say," 22 Nov. 2019 But that one Friday our family made it with homemade turkey stock—a uniquely Chinese American post-Thanksgiving tradition, and in my book, the absolute best way to make use of a turkey carcass. — Celeste Ng, Bon Appétit, "The Strangers at Our Thanksgiving Table," 23 Oct. 2019 Bear tracks near a salmon carcass along the banks of the Naknek River. — Los Angeles Times, "This Alaska mine could generate $1 billion a year. Is it worth the risk to salmon?," 23 Oct. 2019 Their entity, known as Rojava, is now a carcass to be picked over by the Turks and the regime of Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s dictator. — The Economist, "Turkey’s invasion has thrown a once-stable corner of Syria into chaos," 14 Oct. 2019 His home was an open cavity, a carcass of wood and charred metal in the snow. — Isobella Jade, SELF, "Carrying My Father's Memory, and His Coffee Cup," 18 Oct. 2018 Regulations allow for the importation of certain parts of the deer but not whole carcasses. — Frank Sargeant, al, "Alabama DCNR cautions hunters on possible CWD in deer," 11 Nov. 2019 The elephant carcass had been there for almost a week and emitted a strong stench as flies feasted on it. — Washington Post, "Zimbabwe’s severe drought killing elephants, other wildlife," 6 Nov. 2019 The dog that discovered the rabid raccoon carcass was current on the rabies vaccination, but received booster shots because of possible exposure to the raccoon’s saliva. — Catalina Righter, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Another rabid raccoon found in Carroll County, this time in Woodbine," 30 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'carcass.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of carcass

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for carcass

Middle English carcays, from Anglo-French carcas, carkeis

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Time Traveler for carcass

Time Traveler

The first known use of carcass was in the 14th century

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Statistics for carcass

Last Updated

10 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Carcass.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carcass. Accessed 15 December 2019.

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More Definitions for carcass

carcass

noun
How to pronounce carcass (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of carcass

: the body of a dead animal
informal + humorous : a person's body
: the remaining parts of an old vehicle, structure, etc.

See the full definition for carcass in the English Language Learners Dictionary

carcass

noun
car·​cass | \ ˈkär-kəs How to pronounce carcass (audio) \

Kids Definition of carcass

: the body of an animal prepared for use as meat

carcass

noun
car·​cass | \ ˈkär-kəs How to pronounce carcass (audio) \

Medical Definition of carcass

: a dead body : corpse especially : the dressed body of a meat animal

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More from Merriam-Webster on carcass

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for carcass

Spanish Central: Translation of carcass

Nglish: Translation of carcass for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of carcass for Arabic Speakers

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