carnivore

noun

car·ni·vore | \ ˈkär-nə-ˌvȯr

Definition of carnivore

1a : an animal (such as a dog, fox, crocodile, or shark) that feeds primarily or exclusively on animal matter : a carnivorous animal Among the plankton are numerous diminutive but voracious carnivores, including small jellyfishes and comb jellies, saber-toothed creatures called arrowworms or chaetognaths, and a host of crustaceans and small fishes.— Gregory A. Wray As big as a bull elephant, T. rex weighed 15 times as much as the largest carnivores living on land today.— Erik Stokstad Carnivores [=people who eat meat] will appreciate the restaurant's refined version of surf-and-turf: steak au poivre matched with sweet, large prawns.— Matthew DeBord

b : any of an order (Carnivora) of animals that feed primarily or exclusively on animal matter : carnivoran Farther back in their mouths lie some special teeth known as the carnassials. These are the hallmark of the true carnivores, or canivorans—members of a great order of placental mammals, the Carnivora.— Richard H. Tedford

2 : a carnivorous plant the Venus flytrap and other carnivores subsisting on insects

Examples of carnivore in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This healthy meal delivery service also has a wide range of meal plans for so many different lifestyles form gluten-free to family carnivore. — Glamour, "The 11 Best Healthy Food Delivery Services When You Just Can't With Grocery Shopping," 2 Jan. 2019 Here, carnivores can select meats that are either prime or choice, with a price difference of more than $15. — Florence Fabricant, New York Times, "Simon & the Whale Opens in the Freehand New York," 30 Jan. 2018 Yellowstone National Park experienced positive impacts when one of their most famous carnivores, the gray wolf, was reintroduced in the mid-1990s. — Steve Winter, National Geographic, "How City-Dwelling Leopards Improve Human Health," 9 Mar. 2018 But social media followings shouldn't obscure all the reasons why a carnivore diets isn't a good idea. — Jaclyn London, Ms, Rd, Cdn, Good Housekeeping, "What You Need to Know About the Carnivore Diet," 7 Sep. 2018 Central to the conflict is a sense that local residents shoulder all the burdens of hosting these carnivores without reaping any of the economic benefits that their presence brings the country. — Christopher Bendana, The Christian Science Monitor, "Uganda's pride: Lions test locals' patience," 27 June 2018 Thanksgiving comes early for Woodland Park Zoo’s resident carnivores at the Turkey Toss Thanksgiving Feast for the Beasts Saturday, Nov. 17. — Madeline Mckenzie, The Seattle Times, "Holiday fun gets rolling with a turkey toss, trees, trains, treats and more," 14 Nov. 2018 Frustrated, locals have set out snares for elephants and poison for carnivores. — Christopher Bendana, The Christian Science Monitor, "Uganda's pride: Lions test locals' patience," 27 June 2018 Highlights include the Florida Black Grouper and sea scallops, and yes, there's custom cut beef for the hard-core carnivores. — Hallie Levine Sklar, Town & Country, "T&C Travel Guide: Naples, Florida," 9 June 2017

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