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The Classic Omnivore
Human beings seem to be classic omnivores. Originally living as "hunter-gatherers", we hunted and fished when possible but also gathered nuts, berries, fruits, seeds, and roots for much of our diet. We're physically well suited for both tasks; our hands are perfect for picking things, and our build is ideal for running down even the fastest game animals because of our great stamina. Some 10,000 years ago humans began practicing agriculture involving both animals and plants. The other omnivorous mammals include chimpanzees, pigs, opossums, porcupines, bears, raccoons, chipmunks, mice and rats, and skunks. But even many mammals classed as carnivorous turn out to be capable of shifting to plant foods when necessary.
Examples of omnivore in a Sentence
Pete & Gerry's Contributor, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Lives Lived: John Peck, known as the Mad Peck, was a cultural omnivore whose work as an underground cartoonist, artist, critic and disc jockey had a dry humor and an ornate eccentricity.
—German Lopez, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
But being both a cultural omnivore and a frank truth-teller have served him well.
—Jason Newman, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2025
All of the food at Dosa Delight is vegetarian, but thanks to the flavor bomb beheld in each dish, from savory to sour to spicy to sweet, omnivores won’t miss the meat.
—Kaitlyn Rosati, New York Daily News, 12 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Omnivore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/omnivore. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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omnivore
noun
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