carnivorous

adjective car·niv·o·rous \ kär-ˈni-v(ə-)rəs \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of carnivorous

1 : subsisting or feeding on animal tissues

2 of a plant : subsisting on nutrients obtained from the breakdown of animal protoplasm (as of insects)

3 : of or relating to the carnivores

4 : rapacious

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carnivorously

adverb

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carnivorousness

noun

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carnivory

play \kär-ˈni-və-rē\ noun

See carnivorous defined for kids

Recent Examples of carnivorous from the Web

And Marty has to be saved from carnivorous Alex, who now sees him not as an empathizer but an appetizer.

— lawrence toppman, charlotteobserver, "‘Madagascar’ at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte: Action-packed, and smart | Charlotte Observer," 11 Apr. 2018
There also are one-hour seminars about carnivorous plants at 2:30 p.m. April 14 and on basic orchid care at 11 a.m. April 15.

— chris thomas, idahostatesman, "Beauty blooms in Idaho’s backcountry in the spring and summer | Idaho Statesman," 4 Apr. 2018
My family is more carnivorous than a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

— rich santos, Marie Claire, "Could You Date a Vegetarian? (If You Weren't One Yourself)," 24 Nov. 2010
But the Heat have plenty of smart people making decisions, people who know that an ailing Kyrie Irving is preferable to a carnivorous LeBron James.

— ira winderman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "ASK IRA: Is Josh Richardson creating second guessing for Heat?," 26 Mar. 2018
On the soggy floor of one of the only remaining intact forests on the island nation of Singapore, the egg-sized heads of carnivorous creatures emerge from decaying leaves.

— joanna klein, New York Times, "The Weird World Inside a Pitcher Plant," 7 Mar. 2018
The geneticists then compared it to the genomes of carnivorous bats, insect-eating bats, and fruit-eating bats.

— diana gitig, Ars Technica, "Gut bacteria key to the vampire bat’s ability to survive on blood," 1 Mar. 2018
So, the vegetarian entering my house (cave) with my family (carnivorous cave people) would feel awkward.

— rich santos, Marie Claire, "Could You Date a Vegetarian? (If You Weren't One Yourself)," 24 Nov. 2010
Diners seek out Manger with as much relish as Samsara Foodhouse, a calming vegetarian restaurant that offers respite from the city’s carnivorous bent.

— alia akkam, Vogue, "Transylvania Sheds the Shadow of Dracula With Galleries, Cocktails, and Coffeeshops in Cluj-Napoca," 9 Mar. 2018

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

Did You Know?

The order of mammals that Linnaeus named the Carnivora includes such families as the dogs, the bears, the raccoons, the weasels, the hyenas, the cats, and the seals. Most carnivores eat only meat in the wild, but some have varied diets; some bears, for instance, normally eat far more vegetation than meat. Carnivores have powerful jaws and complex teeth, and most are highly intelligent. Humans, like their ape cousins, are basically omnivores.

Origin and Etymology of carnivorous

Latin carnivorus, from carn-, caro + -vorus -vorous

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1592

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Ecology Terms

Malthusian, anthropogenic, biomass, carbon footprint, crepuscular, niche, sere, symbiosis, taiga, tundra

CARNIVOROUS Defined for Kids

carnivorous

adjective car·niv·o·rous \ kär-ˈni-və-rəs \

Definition of carnivorous for Students

: feeding on animal flesh or tissue

Wolves are carnivorous animals.

Word Root of carnivorous

The Latin word vorāre, meaning “to eat greedily,” gives us the root vor. Words from the Latin vorāre have something to do with eating. An herbivorous animal eats only plants. A carnivorous animal eats only other animals. To devour is to eat up greedily. Anyone voracious likes to eat a lot.