Carnivore

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈkɑːnɪvɔː/
• IPA: /ˈkɑːɹ.nɪ.vÉ”r/

Origin

From French carnivore, from Latin carnivorus.

Noun

1. Any animal that eats meat as the main part of its diet.
2. (taxonomy) A mammal belonging to the order Carnivora.

Usage notes

Not all meat-eaters (e.g. meat-eating birds and fish) belong to Carnivora, and not all Carnivora are meat-eaters (e.g. giant panda). To avoid the confusion, a new term carnivoran has been introduced to mean "belonging to Carnivora".

Synonyms

• meatarian, meatatarian of people

Derived terms

• obligate carnivore

Related terms

• Carnivora
• carnivoran
• carnivorous
• folivore
• frugivore
• hemovore
• herbivore
• insectivore
• omnivore