noun

carnivore

KAH-nih-vaw

Carnivore (noun) means an animal whose diet consists mainly or entirely of meat. Example: “Lions are classic carnivores, built to hunt and eat other animals.”

noun

An animal whose diet consists mainly or entirely of meat.

"Lions are classic carnivores, built to hunt and eat other animals."

"Some dinosaurs were enormous carnivores."

Informally, a person who eats meat, especially as opposed to a vegetarian.

"He jokingly called himself an unapologetic carnivore at every barbecue."

How to Use Carnivore

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA meat-eater — used for animals biologically adapted to eat flesh, and casually for people who eat meat.

Easily confused with

herbivore omnivore

Common pairings

carnivore diet apex carnivore strict carnivore

Word Forms

carnivores plural

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Lions are classic _____, built to hunt and eat other animals.

Etymology

From Latin carnivorus, "flesh-eating," from caro ("flesh") + vorare ("to devour") — the same "-vore" ending seen in "herbivore" and "omnivore."

Origin: Latin

Rhymes for carnivore

ore bore tore yore lore more core fore sore gore pore adore

See all rhymes for carnivore →

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “carnivore” mean?

The word “carnivore” means an animal whose diet consists mainly or entirely of meat. In plain terms, a meat-eater — used for animals biologically adapted to eat flesh, and casually for people who eat meat.

How do you pronounce “carnivore”?

“Carnivore” is pronounced KAH-nih-vaw (/ˈkɑɹ.nɪ.voɹ/ in IPA).

How do you use “carnivore” in a sentence?

Here is “carnivore” used in a sentence: “Lions are classic carnivores, built to hunt and eat other animals.”

What part of speech is “carnivore”?

“Carnivore” is a noun.

Where does the word “carnivore” come from?

The word “carnivore” comes from Latin. From Latin carnivorus, "flesh-eating," from caro ("flesh") + vorare ("to devour") — the same "-vore" ending seen in "herbivore" and "omnivore.".

How many meanings does “carnivore” have?

“Carnivore” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an animal whose diet consists mainly or entirely of meat.