carnivore
noun
car·ni·vore
ˈkär-nə-ˌvȯr 
1
a
: an animal (such as a dog, fox, crocodile, or shark) that feeds primarily or exclusively on animal matter : a carnivorous animal
Among the plankton are numerous diminutive but voracious carnivores, including small jellyfishes and comb jellies, saber-toothed creatures called arrowworms or chaetognaths, and a host of crustaceans and small fishes.—
Gregory A. Wray
Gregory A. WrayAs big as a bull elephant, T. rex weighed 15 times as much as the largest carnivores living on land today.—Erik Stokstad
Erik StokstadCarnivores [=people who eat meat] will appreciate the restaurant's refined version of surf-and-turf: steak au poivre matched with sweet, large prawns.—Matthew DeBord
Matthew DeBord
b
: any of an order (Carnivora) of animals that feed primarily or exclusively on animal matter : carnivoran
Farther back in their mouths lie some special teeth known as the carnassials. These are the hallmark of the true carnivores, or canivorans—members of a great order of placental mammals, the Carnivora.—Richard H. Tedford
Richard H. Tedford2
: a carnivorous plant
the Venus flytrap and other carnivores subsisting on insects
Examples of carnivore in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Though it was mostly supported by Republicans and opposed by Democrats, four Democrats voted to delist gray wolves while four Republicans voted to keep the large carnivores under full federal protection.
—Travis Hall, Field & Stream, 10 May 2024
On this point, at least, Mr. Buettner can agree with the carnivores.
—Steven Kurutz Steven Kurutz, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for carnivore 
Travis Hall, Field & Stream, 10 May 2024
On this point, at least, Mr. Buettner can agree with the carnivores.
—Steven Kurutz Steven Kurutz, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for carnivore
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'carnivore.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Carnivore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carnivore. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
carnivore
noun
car·ni·vore
ˈkär-nə-ˌvō(ə)r
-ˌvȯ(ə)r
1
: a flesh-eating animal
especially
: any of an order of flesh-eating mammals
2
: a plant that traps and digests insects
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