cannibalize

verb

can·ni·bal·ize ˈka-nə-bə-ˌlīz

cannibalized; cannibalizing

: to take salvageable parts from (something, such as a disabled machine) for use in building or repairing another machine

: to make use of (a part taken from one thing) in building, repairing, or creating something else

: to deprive of an essential part or element in creating or sustaining another facility or enterprise

the energy system has begun cannibalizing the economic system it is supposed to fuel—

Barry Commoner

: to use or draw on material of (another writer, an earlier work, etc.)

a biography that cannibalizes previous biographies

: to take (sales) away from an existing product by selling or being sold as a similar but new product usually from the same manufacturer

also : to affect (something, such as an existing product) adversely by cannibalizing sales

astronomy, of a celestial object : to incorporate mass from (a nearby object) through gravitational attraction

But some stellar black holes make themselves known because they exist in a binary systems as the companion to a normal star, which they are cannibalizing.—

John Noble Wilford

intransitive verb

: to practice cannibalism

: to cannibalize one unit for the sake of another of the same kind

cannibalization

ˌka-nə-bə-lə-ˈzā-shən

noun

Did you know?

During World War II, military personnel often used salvageable parts from disabled vehicles and aircraft to repair other vehicles and aircraft. This sacrifice of one thing for the sake of another of its kind must have reminded some folks of cannibalism by humans and animals because the process came to be known as cannibalizing. The armed forces of this time were also known to cannibalize—that is, to take away personnel from—units to build up other units. It didn't take long for this military slang to become civilianized. Since its demobilization, the term has been used in a variety of contexts.

Examples of cannibalize in a Sentence

He cannibalized one washing machine to fix another. Many parts of the engine were cannibalized from older cars.

Recent Examples on the Web

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Still, many brands have been hesitant to join TikTok Shop, some out of fear of cannibalizing their other sales channels, or a reluctance, particularly among prestige and luxury brands, to partake in the discounting that often catalyzes sales on the platform. —

Noor Lobad, WWD, 23 Oct. 2024 Discovery as cable operators see streaming outlets as the enemy cannibalizing their video subscriber base. —

Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 18 Oct. 2024 At Erebus Bay, in addition to Fitzjames, at least three other men of the 13 dead crew members documented at the site showed telltale signs of having been cannibalized. —

Katie Hunt, CNN, 11 Oct. 2024 By giving merchants the option to bypass cards for payments, there’s a risk that Visa could potentially cannibalize its own card business. —

Ryan Browne, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cannibalize