roadkill

noun

road·​kill ˈrōd-ˌkil 

1

: the remains of an animal that has been killed on a road by a motor vehicle

2

: one that falls victim to intense competition

political roadkill

road-killed

ˈrōd-ˌkild 

adjective

Examples of roadkill in a Sentence

There is a lot of roadkill along the highway.

Recent Examples on the Web

While appearing in court to testify in a lawsuit that sought to exclude him from the state’s ballot in November, Kennedy confirmed to reporters that he's long had a relationship with roadkill. —Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 30 Jan. 2025

After her young charges arrived, Dr Morris camped alone beside the artificial nest, and spent her days scavenging roadkill or catching carp. —Grrlscientist, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025

The state removed them from the list in 2005 after reported roadkill and other mortalities increased in the early 2000s, according to a former furbearer biologist for DNR. —Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Dec. 2024

What animal control doesn’t do Animal roadkill on a county roads is picked up by the Wilson County Road Commission and roadkill on a state roads is the responsibility of the Tennessee Department of Transportation. —Andy Humbles, The Tennessean, 7 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for roadkill

• anthill
• backfill
• bluegill
• crossbill
• distil
• distill
• downhill
• dunghill
• foothill
• fulfil
• fulfill
• goodwill