noun
insectivore
in-SEK-tih-vor/ɪnˈsektɪvɔːr/
An animal or plant that eats insects.
A shrew is an insectivore that eats beetles and other insects.
Etymology
The components identify an insectivore by what it devours. The insect name itself refers to a body that looks notched or divided, literally “cut into.”
In context
Egyptian fruit bats mostly along with smaller insectivore species deeper within.
More examples
- As an insectivore, the sundew gets nutrients from trapped insects.
- Many bats are insectivores that catch moths in flight.
- The zookeeper feeds live crickets to the small insectivore.
Forms
insectivore · insectivores
insectivorous adjective — Feeding on insects for nourishment.
Similar words
- insect eater
- Names the same diet in everyday, nontechnical language.
- carnivore
- Eats animals generally, rather than insects in particular.