cannibal

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
12
Words With Friends
17
Letters
8
Pronunciation
/ˈkænɪbəl/

Definition of cannibal

2 senses · 1 part of speech · etymology included

noun

  1. An organism which eats others of its own or similar species or kind, especially a human or other human-like creature such as a zombie who consumes human flesh.
    “These insects were not uncommon beneath stones. I found one cannibal scorpion quietly devouring another.”
    “Up the cave I went, and after me came the others, and after them thundered the whole crowd of cannibals, mad with fury at the death of the woman.”
    “[…] that the larvae of Thecla calanus is a cannibal, eating its weaker brethren when short of food.”
    “Quickly he learned their simple speech, their native customs, and the ethics of their wild, primitive tribal life. He found that they were not cannibals—that they looked with loathing and contempt upon men who ate men.”
    “His expression slack, Green Spider methodically pried out another clod and swallowed it. “I'm a cannibal. Eating the Earth Mother. Chewing the flesh from her bones. Cannibal ... cannibal ... cannibal!” Otter tried to shake off his discomfort, […]”
See all 2 definitions

noun

  1. An organism which eats others of its own or similar species or kind, especially a human or other human-like creature such as a zombie who consumes human flesh.
    “These insects were not uncommon beneath stones. I found one cannibal scorpion quietly devouring another.”
    “Up the cave I went, and after me came the others, and after them thundered the whole crowd of cannibals, mad with fury at the death of the woman.”
    “[…] that the larvae of Thecla calanus is a cannibal, eating its weaker brethren when short of food.”
    “Quickly he learned their simple speech, their native customs, and the ethics of their wild, primitive tribal life. He found that they were not cannibals—that they looked with loathing and contempt upon men who ate men.”
    “His expression slack, Green Spider methodically pried out another clod and swallowed it. “I'm a cannibal. Eating the Earth Mother. Chewing the flesh from her bones. Cannibal ... cannibal ... cannibal!” Otter tried to shake off his discomfort, […]”
  2. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, obsolete, slang)Ellipsis of cannibal boat.

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Cariban *kariponader. Spanish caribeder. Spanish caríbalder. Spanish caníbalbor. English cannibal Borrowed from Spanish caníbal, from Taíno caniba, the Taíno form recorded by Christopher Columbus for the Caribs, who were greatly feared. From an Arawak language, probably Taíno, and ultimately from Proto-Cariban *karipona (“person”). Doublet of Carib, caribe, Garifuna, Carijona, Kari'na, and Caribbean.

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