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Many herbivorous animals, such as rabbits, deer, sheep, and cows, are noted for their gentle and passive ways. But such behavior is not universal among herbivores. Rhinoceroses and elephants, for instance, are capable of inflicting serious damage if threatened, and among dinosaurs, the herbivorous Diplodocus had a thick tail that could be used as a lethal weapon against attacking carnivores. Herbivorous humans are usually called vegetarians.
Examples of herbivorous in a Sentence
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According to London's Natural History Museum, the Iguanodon was a herbivorous dinosaur that averaged about 32 feet in length and roamed in the Early Cretaceous period (110 million to 140 million years ago), primarily in Belgium and the United Kingdom.
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Erin Clack, People.com, 15 Feb. 2025
Four sets of tracks were made by a gigantic herbivorous species known as sauropods, a family of dinosaurs closely related to the Diplodocus, according to the researchers.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2025
Sauropods were a group of four-legged herbivorous dinosaurs known for their long necks and tails.
—Natalie Demaree, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2025
Climate change toward the end of the Triassic provided a new glut of food that herbivorous dinosaurs, such as the ancestors of Apatosaurus, began to dine on.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Dec. 2024
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Erin Clack, People.com, 15 Feb. 2025
Four sets of tracks were made by a gigantic herbivorous species known as sauropods, a family of dinosaurs closely related to the Diplodocus, according to the researchers.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2025
Sauropods were a group of four-legged herbivorous dinosaurs known for their long necks and tails.
—Natalie Demaree, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2025
Climate change toward the end of the Triassic provided a new glut of food that herbivorous dinosaurs, such as the ancestors of Apatosaurus, began to dine on.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for herbivorous
Dictionary Entries Near herbivorous
Cite this Entry
“Herbivorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/herbivorous. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
herbivorous
adjective
her·biv·o·rous
ˌ(h)ər-ˈbiv-ə-rəs 
: eating or living on plants
Medical Definition
herbivorous
adjective
her·biv·o·rous
ˌ(h)ər-ˈbiv-ə-rəs
1
: feeding on plants
herbivorous mammals
2
: having a stout body and a long small intestine : endomorphic
herbivorously
adverb
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