English Explanatory Dictionary

cannibal

English dictionary entry

Meanings

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.
  2. Ellipsis of cannibal boat.

Pronunciation

/ˈkænɪbəl/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-cannibal.wav

Word forms

cannibal cannibals

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.

Synonyms

anthropophagus man-eater

Derived words

cannibalic cannibalise cannibalish cannibalism cannibalistic cannibality cannibalization cannibally cannibal sandwich endocannibal exocannibal missionaries and cannibals problem noncannibal
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