carnivorous

adjective

car·​niv·​o·​rous kär-ˈni-v(ə-)rəs How to pronounce carnivorous (audio)
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
carnivorously adverb
carnivorousness noun
carnivory noun

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.

Examples of carnivorous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The story revolves around an ancient species of carnivorous piranhas that are unleashed in the lake, leading to a bloody and wild fight for survival among the unsuspecting revelers. Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 5 Oct. 2024 The carnivorous dishes became a little repetitive, to be frank: Many of them consist of a small slab of meat sitting on a bed of some purée, accompanied by a couple dollops of different greens. Tiffany Hopkins, Bon Appétit, 4 Sep. 2024 The carnivorous Jurassic dinosaur would have been able to easily stand in the palm of your hand, a nipper that had fuzzy feathers as well as scales. Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Sep. 2024 Puffins are carnivorous birds that primarily eat small fish, including herring, hake, sand eels, and capelin. Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 5 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for carnivorous 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'carnivorous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of carnivorous was in 1592

Dictionary Entries Near carnivorous

Cite this Entry

“Carnivorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carnivorous. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

carnivorous

adjective
car·​niv·​o·​rous kär-ˈniv-(ə-)rəs How to pronounce carnivorous (audio)
1
a
: feeding on animal tissues
b
: trapping and digesting insects
carnivorous plants
2
: of or relating to the carnivores

Medical Definition

carnivorous

adjective
car·​niv·​o·​rous kär-ˈniv-(ə-)rəs How to pronounce carnivorous (audio)
1
: subsisting or feeding on animal tissues
2
: of or relating to the carnivores
carnivorously adverb
carnivorousness noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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