carcass

Or car·case

[kahr-kuhs]

noun

1. the dead body of an animal.

2. Slang.,  the body of a human being, whether living or dead.

3. the body of a slaughtered animal after removal of the offal.

4. anything from which life and power are gone.

   The mining town, now a mere carcass, is a reminder of a past era.

5. an unfinished framework or skeleton, as of a house or ship.

6. the body of a furniture piece designed for storage, as a chest of drawers or wardrobe, without the drawers, doors, hardware, etc.

7. the inner body of a pneumatic tire, resisting by its tensile strength the pressure of the air within the tire, and protected by the tread and other parts.

verb (used with object)

1. to erect the framework for (a building, ship, etc.).

carcass

/ ˈkɑːkəs /

noun

1. the dead body of an animal, esp one that has been slaughtered for food, with the head, limbs, and entrails removed

2. informal,  a person's body

3. the skeleton or framework of a structure

4. the remains of anything when its life or vitality is gone; shell

Other Word Forms

• carcassless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of carcass¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; from Middle French carcasse, from Italian carcassa; replacing Middle English carkeis, carkois, from Anglo-French, corresponding to Medieval Latin carcosium; ultimately origin obscure

Word History and Origins

Origin of carcass¹

C14: from Old French carcasse, of obscure origin

Synonym Study

See body.

Example Sentences

In India, a decline in vultures is believed to have contributed to the deaths of half a million people because they clear up the carcasses of dead animals, helping to stop the spread of disease.

From BBC

He paused before the fire-scorched carcass of what appeared to have once been a furniture shop.

From Los Angeles Times

He points to the nearby carcass of a Russian cruise missile.

From BBC

He usually donates the carcass and meat of the pigs to low-income families.

From Los Angeles Times

In 2013, something began ravaging sea stars along the West Coast, turning them into decaying, fragmented carcasses.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• frame 
• framework 
• hulk 
• skeleton 
• structure