carcass

noun

car·​cass ˈkär-kəs 

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)

Synonyms

• corpse

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

Apex predators seldom just drop dead, so an explanation was needed when the carcass of a seemingly healthy 11-foot, 4-inch great hammerhead shark was discovered off southeast Florida. —Mark Price, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2025

In another lay the stiff, decomposing carcass of a feral hog. —Nathaniel Rich, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025

Cackles of hyenas from far and wide will arrive in search of the carcass. —Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2025

Just this one pipe yielded the carcasses of hundreds of birds and animals, including kestrels, flickers, bluebirds, and fence lizards that had become trapped over a time period of 50 years. —Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English carcays, from Anglo-French carcas, carkeis

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for carcass

• arcus

Kids Definition

carcass

noun

car·​cass ˈkär-kəs 

: a dead body

especially : the body of a meat animal prepared for market

Medical Definition

carcass

noun

car·​cass ˈkär-kəs 

: a dead body : corpse

especially : the dressed body of a meat animal