necrophagous

adjective

ne·​croph·​a·​gous nə-ˈkrä-fə-gəs How to pronounce necrophagous (audio)
ne-
: feeding on corpses or carrion
necrophagous insects

Examples of necrophagous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web While its bite could crush bones and its blade-like teeth tore through meat, Müller and company believe Dynamosuchus collisensis was a slow scavenger, or necrophagous, similar to the vultures and hyenas of today. National Geographic, 5 Feb. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'necrophagous.' 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

borrowed from New Latin necrophagus, borrowed from Greek nekrophágos, from nekro- necro- + -phagos -phagous

First Known Use

1835, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of necrophagous was in 1835

Dictionary Entries Near necrophagous

Cite this Entry

“Necrophagous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/necrophagous. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!