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

• bones
• cadaver
• corpse
• corpus
• corse [archaic]
• relics
• remains
• stiff

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

Alongside the escalators and signs for the now-defunct movie theater in the carcass of what was once L.A.’s premiere shopping mall, dozens of government agencies have gathered to offer fire aid. —Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025

The diurnal predator is believed to primarily consume trout and salmon, though it has also been observed eating puffins, crabs and deer carcasses. —Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025

The carcass of a male mandrill is being burned to remove the fur for the purpose of selling the meat in a market on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea. —Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024

Scavenging from the same carcass, for example, can result in a fight. —Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English carcays, from Anglo-French carcas, carkeis

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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