carnivore

noun car·ni·vore \ ˈkär-nə-ˌvȯr \

|Updated on: 18 Aug 2018

Definition of carnivore

1 : any of an order (Carnivora) of typically flesh-eating mammals that includes dogs, foxes, bears, raccoons, and cats; broadly : a carnivorous animal

2 : a carnivorous plant

the Venus flytrap and other carnivores subsisting on insects

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Recent Examples of carnivore from the Web

In Alberta, Frey found that the American marten, a carnivore which is mostly nocturnal in the wilderness, has become much more active in the daytime in the busier Kananaskis Country.

— christopher solomon, Outside Online, "Humans Are Turning Mammals More Nocturnal," 14 June 2018
Even with wildlife managers working to get rid of coyotes, the animals have managed to expand their range since 1950 by at least twice that of any other North American carnivore during the same time.

— New York Times, "Coyotes Conquered North America. Now They’re Heading South.," 24 May 2018
The 30 foot-long skeleton is thought to be a species that may be related to the Allosaurus fragilis, a carnivore from the late Jurassic era.

— sarah gray, Fortune, "Dinosaur Skeleton Sells for Over $2 Million at Auction in Paris," 3 Feb. 2018
It was also found that dogs may have the most neurons of any carnivore point blank.

— elly belle, Teen Vogue, "Study Says Dogs Are Actually Smarter Than Cats," 18 June 2018
Lions, cheetahs and leopards may be spotted during the day, while night brings out a parade of smaller carnivores, including serval, genets, civets, pale foxes and honey badgers.

— rachel nuwer, New York Times, "In Chad, the Elephants (So Many Elephants) Are Back," 14 May 2018
Dogs and other carnivores are the definitive hosts, and mosquitoes serve as vectors.

— marci robin, Allure, "Woman Discovers the Moving Bump Below Her Skin Is Actually a Parasitic Worm," 22 June 2018
The Canadian Rockies hold a huge number of carnivores—wolves, cougars, wolverine, lynx, coyote, marten, and smaller weasels.

— christopher solomon, Outside Online, "Humans Are Turning Mammals More Nocturnal," 14 June 2018
The bones, from carnivores and their prey, had been dated using radiocarbon in the 1990s, but their ages hadn’t been corrected for the fact that most of the animals lived in the ocean or ate lots of seafood, which complicates radiocarbon estimates.

— lizzie wade, Science | AAAS, "New map of Alaska’s ancient coast supports theory that America’s first people arrived by boat," 30 May 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of carnivore

ultimately from Latin carnivorus

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1840

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Mammals Terms

dormouse, dugong, gibbon, grimalkin, sable, stoat, ungulate, vole

CARNIVORE Defined for English Language Learners

carnivore

noun

Definition of carnivore for English Language Learners

: an animal that eats meat : a meat eater

CARNIVORE Defined for Kids

carnivore

noun car·ni·vore \ ˈkär-nə-ˌvȯr \

Definition of carnivore for Students

: an animal that feeds on meat

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See words that rhyme with carnivore Spanish Central: Translation of carnivore Nglish: Translation of carnivore for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of carnivore for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about carnivore

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