carnivorous

adjective

car·​niv·​o·​rous kär-ˈni-v(ə-)rəs 

1

: subsisting or feeding on animal tissues

2

of a plant : subsisting on nutrients obtained from the breakdown of animal protoplasm (as of insects)

3

: of or relating to the carnivores

4

: rapacious

carnivorously adverb

carnivorousness noun

carnivory

kär-ˈni-və-rē 

noun

Did you know?

The order of mammals that Linnaeus named the Carnivora includes such families as the dogs, the bears, the raccoons, the weasels, the hyenas, the cats, and the seals. Most carnivores eat only meat in the wild, but some have varied diets; some bears, for instance, normally eat far more vegetation than meat. Carnivores have powerful jaws and complex teeth, and most are highly intelligent. Humans, like their ape cousins, are basically omnivores.

Examples of carnivorous in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In other words, the carnivorous Ethiopian wolf may also be a pollinator. —Ari Daniel, NPR, 7 Dec. 2024

Theropods are a highly diverse group of bipedal, mostly carnivorous dinosaurs that include giant predators like Tyrannosaurus rex as well as the small ancestors of modern birds. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024

These teeth indicate that a bevy of carnivorous dinosaurs including tyrannosaurs, spinosaurs, and members of the Velociraptor family stalked this region about 135 million years ago. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 5 Dec. 2024

Nicknamed Hell’s Aquarium for the number of carnivorous sea monsters that inhabited this swath of sea, Deinosuchus lived along with a number of toothy beasts. —Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin carnivorus, from carn-, caro + -vorus -vorous

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

carnivorous

adjective

car·​niv·​o·​rous kär-ˈniv-(ə-)rəs 

1

a

: feeding on animal tissues

b

: trapping and digesting insects

carnivorous plants

2

: of or relating to the carnivores

Medical Definition

carnivorous

adjective

car·​niv·​o·​rous kär-ˈniv-(ə-)rəs 

1

: subsisting or feeding on animal tissues

2

: of or relating to the carnivores

carnivorously adverb

carnivorousness noun