herbivore

[hur-buh-vawr, -vohr]

noun

1. a herbivorous animal.

herbivore

/ ˈhɜːbɪˌvɔː /

noun

1. an animal that feeds on grass and other plants

2. informal,  a liberal, idealistic, or nonmaterialistic person

herbivore

1. An animal that feeds mainly or only on plants. In a food chain, herbivores are primary consumers.

2. Compare carnivore detritivore

herbivore

1. A living thing that eats only plants. Cattle, sheep, and horses are herbivores.

Word History and Origins

Origin of herbivore¹

1850–55; < New Latin herbivorus; herb, -i-, -vore

Word History and Origins

Origin of herbivore¹

C19: from New Latin herbivora grass-eaters

Example Sentences

The medium-sized herbivore once roamed the floodplains of what is now the island's south-west coast.

From BBC

The Edmontosaurus, another herbivore, roamed the forests like the Pachyrhinosaurus - and is helping palaeontologists build up a picture of this ancient land.

From BBC

The dinosaurs included carnivorous megalosaurs - ancestors of Tyrannosaurus rex - and long necked herbivores that were up to three times bigger in size than an elephant.

From BBC

Meanwhile, the Stegosaurus is seen an iconic herbivore, whose armored plates and spiked tail helped it to defend itself against predators and adapt to a challenging environment.

From BBC

The palaeontologists hypothesise that charcoal was ingested to detoxify stomach contents, as ferns can be toxic to herbivores.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• fruitarian 
• vegan 
• vegetarian