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

Law enforcement is asking for the public's help in determining who left four, mangled deer carcasses on a Madison County road. —Nwa Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 31 Dec. 2024

Dowdle is a fringe RB2, especially if the carcass of Ezekiel Elliott is stealing goal-line carries. —Jake Ciely, The Athletic, 25 Dec. 2024

It has also been known to scavenge the carcasses of marine mammals, including seals and whales. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024

Patole requests rib cuts, liver, still hanging in the carcass and intestines. —Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 15 Dec. 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