carnivorous
adjective
car·niv·o·rous
kär-ˈni-v(ə-)rəs 
1
: subsisting or feeding on animal tissues
2
of a plant
: subsisting on nutrients obtained from the breakdown of animal protoplasm (as of insects)
3
: of or relating to the carnivores
4
Did you know?
The order of mammals that Linnaeus named the Carnivora includes such families as the dogs, the bears, the raccoons, the weasels, the hyenas, the cats, and the seals. Most carnivores eat only meat in the wild, but some have varied diets; some bears, for instance, normally eat far more vegetation than meat. Carnivores have powerful jaws and complex teeth, and most are highly intelligent. Humans, like their ape cousins, are basically omnivores.
Examples of carnivorous in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The carnivorous marine isopods typically scavenge carcasses on the seafloor, but may also eat live prey.
—
Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
The study was conducted in 2024 at Briones Regional Park in Contra Costa County, Calif., and found that the park's ground squirrels exhibited carnivorous behaviors — particularly in the peak summer months — and hunted voles.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024
Blumstein, before reading the details of the study, thought that the carnivorous behavior might have been isolated to female squirrels desperate for the nutrients needed to feed their young.
—Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
The predation is described in a study published December 18 in the journal Journal of Ethology and provides the first evidence of carnivorous behavior in this species of squirrels.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 18 Dec. 2024
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Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
The study was conducted in 2024 at Briones Regional Park in Contra Costa County, Calif., and found that the park's ground squirrels exhibited carnivorous behaviors — particularly in the peak summer months — and hunted voles.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024
Blumstein, before reading the details of the study, thought that the carnivorous behavior might have been isolated to female squirrels desperate for the nutrients needed to feed their young.
—Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
The predation is described in a study published December 18 in the journal Journal of Ethology and provides the first evidence of carnivorous behavior in this species of squirrels.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 18 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for carnivorous
Cite this Entry
“Carnivorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carnivorous. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
carnivorous
adjective
car·niv·o·rous
kär-ˈniv-(ə-)rəs
1
a
: feeding on animal tissues
b
: trapping and digesting insects
carnivorous plants
2
: of or relating to the carnivores
Medical Definition
carnivorous
adjective
car·niv·o·rous
kär-ˈniv-(ə-)rəs
1
: subsisting or feeding on animal tissues
2
: of or relating to the carnivores
carnivorously
adverb
carnivorousness
noun
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