omnivorous

adjective

om·​niv·​o·​rous äm-ˈni-v(ə-)rəs How to pronounce omnivorous (audio)
1
: feeding on both animal and vegetable substances
omnivorous animals
2
: avidly taking in everything as if devouring or consuming
an omnivorous reader
omnivorous curiosity
omnivorously adverb

Examples of omnivorous in a Sentence

She is an omnivorous reader. a child with omnivorous curiosity
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Climate changes during the period underwrote a vegetation boom that provided some previously omnivorous dinosaur lineages with enough green food to begin specializing on eating plants. Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2025 Being omnivorous, with a very long and efficient gut, humans coped better than other mammals in the face of pestilence and drought, the better to ensure our survival. John Mariani, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024 Across her career, the singer and producer Paulina Sotomayor has fed an omnivorous, culture-spanning musical appetite. The New York Times, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025 The researchers assigned one twin in each pair to a vegan meal plan, while the other ate an omnivorous diet that included meat, eggs and dairy, as well as plants. Aria Bendix, NBC News, 1 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for omnivorous 

Word History

Etymology

Latin omnivorus, from omni- + -vorus -vorous

First Known Use

circa 1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of omnivorous was circa 1656

Dictionary Entries Near omnivorous

Cite this Entry

“Omnivorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/omnivorous. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

omnivorous

adjective
om·​niv·​o·​rous äm-ˈniv-(ə-)rəs How to pronounce omnivorous (audio)
: feeding on both animal and vegetable substances

Medical Definition

omnivorous

adjective
om·​niv·​o·​rous äm-ˈniv-(ə-)rəs How to pronounce omnivorous (audio)
: eating both animal and plant matter
omnivorously adverb
omnivorousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on omnivorous

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