carnivorous
adjective
car·niv·o·rous
kär-ˈni-v(ə-)rəs 
1
: subsisting or feeding on animal tissues
2
of a plant
: subsisting on nutrients obtained from the breakdown of animal protoplasm (as of insects)
3
: of or relating to the carnivores
4
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The order of mammals that Linnaeus named the Carnivora includes such families as the dogs, the bears, the raccoons, the weasels, the hyenas, the cats, and the seals. Most carnivores eat only meat in the wild, but some have varied diets; some bears, for instance, normally eat far more vegetation than meat. Carnivores have powerful jaws and complex teeth, and most are highly intelligent. Humans, like their ape cousins, are basically omnivores.
Examples of carnivorous in a Sentence
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These carnivorous fish were historically distributed throughout the eastern part of the continent, all the way from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic coast, and from Hudson Bay down to northeastern Mexico.
—
Derek Horner, Outdoor Life, 27 Feb. 2025
In addition to plant sales, the event features workshops and seminars on topics from Florida’s endemic carnivorous plants to bonsai care and propagating plants.
—Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 20 Feb. 2025
As prey grew bigger, more carnivorous dinosaurs followed the trend and became larger—roughly the size of polar bears.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2025
The carnivorous marine isopods typically scavenge carcasses on the seafloor, but may also eat live prey.
—Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
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Derek Horner, Outdoor Life, 27 Feb. 2025
In addition to plant sales, the event features workshops and seminars on topics from Florida’s endemic carnivorous plants to bonsai care and propagating plants.
—Patrick Connolly, Orlando Sentinel, 20 Feb. 2025
As prey grew bigger, more carnivorous dinosaurs followed the trend and became larger—roughly the size of polar bears.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2025
The carnivorous marine isopods typically scavenge carcasses on the seafloor, but may also eat live prey.
—Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for carnivorous
Cite this Entry
“Carnivorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carnivorous. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
carnivorous
adjective
car·niv·o·rous
kär-ˈniv-(ə-)rəs
1
a
: feeding on animal tissues
b
: trapping and digesting insects
carnivorous plants
2
: of or relating to the carnivores
Medical Definition
carnivorous
adjective
car·niv·o·rous
kär-ˈniv-(ə-)rəs
1
: subsisting or feeding on animal tissues
2
: of or relating to the carnivores
carnivorously
adverb
carnivorousness
noun
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