carnivore

noun

car·​ni·​vore ˈkär-nə-ˌvȯr 

1

a

: 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

Wild mammals and birds, both herbivores and carnivores, generally got smaller as human populations expanded, landscapes became more fragmented and hunting pressure increased. —New Atlas, 7 Sep. 2025

Levi studies the endangered Humboldt marten, a small carnivore that lives on the Northern California and Southern Oregon coast. —Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2025

There’s a solid, mega-meaty take at the mini-chain Schnipper’s; a terrific vegan version that used to be on the menu at Superiority Burger could have converted even the most skeptical snob or carnivore. —Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2025

Captive carnivores in the United States often have their diets supplemented with commercially available meat products, like chunk or mincemeat. —Alana Wise, NPR, 6 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

ultimately from Latin carnivorus

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Rhymes for carnivore

• albacore
• alongshore
• antiwar
• anymore
• blastopore
• commodore
• dinosaur
• evermore
• furthermore
• guarantor
• herbivore
• heretofore

Kids Definition

carnivore

noun

car·​ni·​vore ˈkär-nə-ˌvō(ə)r 

-ˌvȯ(ə)r

1

: a flesh-eating animal

especially : any of an order of flesh-eating mammals

2

: a plant that traps and digests insects