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

Stock: Take the turkey carcass, place in a large stock pot, and fill with water to cover. —Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 29 Nov. 2024

Farming has fragmented their rolling grassland habitat, and feeding on cattle carcasses puts them at risk of disease. —Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024

After carving and picking off all the meat, don't toss that turkey carcass. —Kelly Brant, arkansasonline.com, 26 Nov. 2024

Refraining from mowing over animal carcasses and considering wearing a dust mask when landscaping. —Lauren Penington, The Denver Post, 3 Nov. 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