carnivorous

adjective

car·​niv·​o·​rous kär-ˈni-v(ə-)rəs How to pronounce carnivorous (audio)
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
carnivorously adverb
carnivorousness noun
carnivory 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 This classic summer vacation spot is also home to natural gifts, including Carolina Beach State Park, with some of the area's finest fishing and the Flytrap Trail, named for the carnivorous Venus Flytrap plants along its path. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2024 Moore is planning another trip with the group to seek out carnivorous plants, which are among some of the rare Florida sights found at the preserve. Ryan Ballogg, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024 Higher nitrogen isotope values suggest that an animal is feeding higher on the food chain—that is, more likely to be eating carnivorous or herbivorous prey than plants. Sarah Sloat, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024 What Slugs Eat: Key Points The 40 species of slugs in North America can be omnivorous, herbivorous, carnivorous, or detritivorous. Paul Richards, Field & Stream, 29 Feb. 2024 The colorful anemonefish–aka clownfish–that call the carnivorous and stingy anemones on coral reefs home have a happy and carefree reputation among humans. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 1 Feb. 2024 Wolverines are in the Mustelidae family, a group of carnivorous mammals, along with weasels, mink, marten and otters, according got the National Park Service. Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 29 Nov. 2023 But as new finds in North America were unearthed in the 1850s and ’60s, such as the carnivorous Dryptosaurus, paleontologists revised dinosaurs yet again. Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Feb. 2024 These carnivorous marsupials, which resemble a mousy shrew, have just three weeks to mate with as many females as possible. Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 25 Jan. 2024

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

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

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of carnivorous was in 1592

Dictionary Entries Near carnivorous

Cite this Entry

“Carnivorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carnivorous. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

carnivorous

adjective
car·​niv·​o·​rous kär-ˈniv-(ə-)rəs How to pronounce carnivorous (audio)
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 How to pronounce carnivorous (audio)
1
: subsisting or feeding on animal tissues
2
: of or relating to the carnivores
carnivorously adverb
carnivorousness noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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