carcass

noun

car·​cass ˈkär-kəs How to pronounce carcass (audio)
1
: a dead body : corpse
especially : the dressed body of a meat animal
Butchers trimmed the meat from the carcass.
2
: the living, material, or physical body
It was nearly noon when he finally hauled his carcass out of bed.
3
: the decaying or worthless remains of a structure
the carcass of an abandoned automobile
4
: the underlying structure or frame of something (as of a piece of furniture)

Examples of carcass in a Sentence

the rusting carcass of an old truck the carcass of a squirrel that had been run over
Recent Examples on the Web Drone imagery also shows quad bikes, also known as ATVs, aflame in the daylight, on empty, ghostly plains of rubble and carcasses. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024 The mountain lion was located after officials followed tracks and drag marks in the snow to where the predator had hid the goat’s carcass. The Summit Daily, The Denver Post, 16 Feb. 2024 Environmental police officers took the coyote's carcass for testing and state laboratories determined the animal had rabies. Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2024 Its carcass was found near South Enterprise Road, which is close to an agriculture field, officials said. Helena Wegner, Sacramento Bee, 12 Feb. 2024 Their carcasses were hauled away to a butcher shop. James Wagner, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2024 The 26-year-old is one of hundreds of Idahoans who take advantage of the state’s roadkill salvage laws, which allow individuals to harvest whole carcasses or parts of animals. Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 The release said none of the carcasses had been recovered for testing to determine the cause and confirmation of illness. Abigail Celaya, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024 This method required significant physical strength, the wielding of cleavers, and the manipulation of whole carcasses or forequarters. Olivia Potts, Longreads, 15 Feb. 2024

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

Middle English carcays, from Anglo-French carcas, carkeis

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of carcass was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near carcass

Cite this Entry

“Carcass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carcass. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

carcass

noun
car·​cass ˈkär-kəs How to pronounce carcass (audio)
: a dead body
especially : the body of a meat animal prepared for market

Medical Definition

carcass

noun
car·​cass ˈkär-kəs How to pronounce carcass (audio)
: a dead body : corpse
especially : the dressed body of a meat animal

More from Merriam-Webster on carcass

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