adjective
carnivorous
kar-NIV-er-us/kɑːrˈnɪvərəs/
Feeding on or adapted to feed on animals.
The carnivorous lion pins down a piece of meat and bites into it.
Etymology
The Latin combination of “flesh” and “devour” makes the animal’s food the defining feature. Here “flesh” means animal tissue eaten as food, giving the adjective its meat-feeding sense.
In context
So insects also glue together other species by eating plants and then themselves being eaten by carnivorous meat eating larger animals.
More examples
- Lions are carnivorous mammals.
- The fossil teeth suggest a carnivorous diet.
- The aquarium keeps several carnivorous fish in separate tanks.
Forms
carnivore noun — An animal that feeds on other animals.
Similar words
- predatory
- Emphasizes hunting behavior rather than diet alone.
- omnivorous
- Feeds on both animal and plant material.