herbivorous

adjective

her·biv·o·rous ˌ(h)ər-ˈbiv-rəs

-ˈbi-və-

Synonyms of herbivorous next

: feeding on plants

herbivory

ˌ(h)ər-ˈbi-və-rē

noun

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Many herbivorous animals, such as rabbits, deer, sheep, and cows, are noted for their gentle and passive ways. But such behavior is not universal among herbivores. Rhinoceroses and elephants, for instance, are capable of inflicting serious damage if threatened, and among dinosaurs, the herbivorous Diplodocus had a thick tail that could be used as a lethal weapon against attacking carnivores. Herbivorous humans are usually called vegetarians.

Examples of herbivorous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This global wetting led to another profound disappearance of many species, particularly of herbivorous reptiles that had adapted to arid conditions. —

Leigh Phillips, The Atlantic, 9 July 2024 Share [Findings] The tail of an unidentified herbivorous dinosaur in Alberta was found to contain a type of histiocytic tumor that primarily affects young children. —

Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 19 June 2024 By far the most abundant dinosaur teeth in our samples come from herbivorous dinosaurs with rows of teeth that formed a grinding surface functionally similar to the molars of mammals. —

Kristi Curry Rogers, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2024 Stegosaurus was a slow-moving, herbivorous dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic period, between 145 million and 152 million years ago. —

Aaron Boorstein, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for herbivorous

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