carnivore

noun

car·​ni·​vore ˈkär-nə-ˌvȯr 

1

a

: an animal (such as a dog, fox, crocodile, or shark) that feeds primarily or exclusively on animal matter : a carnivorous animal

Among the plankton are numerous diminutive but voracious carnivores, including small jellyfishes and comb jellies, saber-toothed creatures called arrowworms or chaetognaths, and a host of crustaceans and small fishes.

—Gregory A. Wray

As big as a bull elephant, T. rex weighed 15 times as much as the largest carnivores living on land today.

—Erik Stokstad

Carnivores [=people who eat meat] will appreciate the restaurant's refined version of surf-and-turf: steak au poivre matched with sweet, large prawns.

—Matthew DeBord

b

: any of an order (Carnivora) of animals that feed primarily or exclusively on animal matter : carnivoran

Farther back in their mouths lie some special teeth known as the carnassials. These are the hallmark of the true carnivores, or canivorans—members of a great order of placental mammals, the Carnivora.

—Richard H. Tedford

2

: a carnivorous plant

the Venus flytrap and other carnivores subsisting on insects

Examples of carnivore in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Even in the face of hunting, human encroachment, and competition with larger carnivores, the medium dog-sized mammals appear to be thriving. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 7 Nov. 2024

Jaguars kill adult sea turtles in Central and South America, whereas smaller carnivores such as foxes, skunks, coyotes, jackals, and dingoes prey on nests in various parts of the world. —Byrichard Pallardy, science.org, 28 June 2024

Hunting large carnivores is a contentious issue in wildlife management and conservation. —Rebecca Niemiec, The Conversation, 13 Sep. 2024

Public perceptions of carnivores have been extensively studied around the world, with conservationists trialing different ways to mitigate conflicts with stakeholders—from paying ranchers for animals lost to predation to using specialized guard dogs to protect herds. —Emily Soreghan, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

ultimately from Latin carnivorus

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Kids Definition

carnivore

noun

car·​ni·​vore ˈkär-nə-ˌvō(ə)r 

-ˌvȯ(ə)r

1

: a flesh-eating animal

especially : any of an order of flesh-eating mammals

2

: a plant that traps and digests insects