man-eater

noun

man-eat·​er ˈman-ˌē-tər 

: one that has or is thought to have an appetite for human flesh: such as

a

: cannibal

b

or man-eating shark : mackerel shark

especially : great white shark

c

: a large feline (such as a lion or tiger) that has acquired the habit of feeding on human flesh

man-eating

ˈman-ˌē-tiŋ 

adjective

Examples of man-eater in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Long assumed to be man-eaters, hammerhead sharks live in Florida, but very rarely bother humans. Sharks to watch out for in Florida (click for more): Bull Shark The prizefighter of the ocean: stout, surly and stubborn. —Erik Vance, New York Times, 26 July 2024

After being possessed by a demon, high school queen bee Jennifer (Megan Fox) transforms into a literal man-eater, preying on lustful boys. —Lia Beck, People.com, 25 Oct. 2024

The discovery of human DNA wasn’t all that revelatory—the lions got their man-eater nickname for a good reason. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Oct. 2024

While the night may have been about the men of the 2023, Megan thee Stallion looked every part a glamorous man-eater. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 17 Nov. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

man-eater

noun

man-eat·​er

ˈman-ˌēt-ər

: one (as a cannibal, shark, or tiger) that has or is thought to have an appetite for human flesh

man-eating

-ˌēt-iŋ

adjective

Medical Definition

man-eater

noun

man-eat·​er ˈman-ˌēt-ər 

: one (as a great white shark) that has or is thought to have an appetite for human flesh

man-eating

-ˌēt-iŋ 

adjective