English Explanatory Dictionary

insectivore

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Insect-eating animal or plant.
  2. mammal of the now abandoned order Insectivora.

Pronunciation

/ɪnˈsɛktəˌvɔː/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-insectivore.wav /ɪnˈsɛktəˌvɔɹ/

Word forms

insectivore insectivores

Etymology

From French insectivore. In the zoological sense, coined by English philosopher and historian of science William Whewell in 1840 as an adaptation of Cuvier's coinage, French insectivore. The French terms reflect scientific New Latin origins. By surface analysis, insect + -i- + -vore.

Synonyms

insectivoran

Related words

Insectivora insectivorous
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