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animal Definition

ani·mal (an′i məl)

noun

  1. any of a kingdom (Animalia) of eukaryotes generally characterized by a multicellular body, the ability to move quickly and obtain food, specialized sense organs, and sexual reproduction
  2. any such organism other than a human being, esp. a mammal or, often, any four-footed creature
  3. a brutish, debased, or inhuman person
  4. Informal a person, thing, concept, etc. thought of as a kind or type today's athlete is another animal altogether

Etymology: L, living being < anima, animus, breath, air, life principle, soul < IE base *an(e)-, to breathe, exhale > Gr anemos, Sans anilas, wind, breath, OE antha, excitement, anger

adjective

  1. of, like, or derived from animals
  2. physical rather than mental or spiritual; specif., sensual, gross, bestial, etc.

animal Related Forms

an′i·mally adverb

animal Idioms

the animal

animal nature; animality it's the animal in him

animal Synonyms

animal

modif.

  1. Referring to characteristics of the animal kingdom

    animalistic, bestial, beastly, swinish, brutish, wild, beastlike, feral, untamed, instinctual, zoological.

    Terms referring to specific animals include: vertebrate, invertebrate, mammalian, ruminant, ungulate, bovine, canine, equine, feline, leonine, lupine, vulpine, ursine, porcine, caprine, ovine, pachydermal, lagomorphic, rodent, marsupial, piscatorial, crustacean, cetacean, amphibian, avian, serpentine, ophidian, reptilian.

  2. Referring to the bodily characteristics of humans

    corporeal, physical, bodily, muscular, fleshly, sensual, carnal, earthy, earthly, natural; see also sensual 2. See syn. study at sensual.

    Antonyms spiritual*, intellectual*, supernatural.

animal Synonyms

animal

n.

  1. A mobile organism

    living thing, creature, human being, primate, mammal, beast, being, vertebrate, invertebrate, quadruped, biped, carnivore, herbivore, insectivore, scavenger, omnivore, a representative of the fauna.

  2. A nonhuman creature

    creature, beast, beast of burden, brute, domestic animal, wild animal, lower animal, quadruped, beast of the field, creeping thing, varmint, pet, farm animal, dumb animal, wild thing, one of God's creatures, monster, critter*.

  3. A brutish human

    brute, savage, monster; see beast 2.

animal Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • slaughter: Compensation for bovine animals slaughtered for BSE is calculated in England under the TSE Regulations 2006.
  • kill: They say that traps are inhumane and don't always kill the animal straight away, so they often bleed to death.
  • domesticate: The domesticated animals inject their hooves onto depraved and overgrazed fields.

Preposition: in

zoo: There are over 400 hundred animals in this zoo set within 32 acres of landscaped gardens.

Adjective modifier

  • wild: She hopes that the wild animals will stop the world's media getting too close.
  • infected: Many of these recent cases are farmers who became infected through contact with infected animals.
  • domestic: Safe means that it must not pose a risk of injury or death to people or domestic animals or of damage to property.
  • exotic: I suppose that's what draws people into keeping exotic animals.
  • endangered: Extinct and endangered Find out about some of our extinct and endangered animals.

Modifies a noun

  • welfare: Rather than go quietly I would like to do something to improve animal welfare on upland organic farms.
  • feed: What there is not enough of is animal feed - cereals to drive the predicted increase in meat consumption.
  • experimentation: Animal experimentation did no better in the field of surgery.
  • experiment: Animal experiments tell us about animals, not about people.
  • husbandry: At least the fallout from a nuclear attack on Catterick would give its remaining inhabitants something to talk about instead of animal husbandry.
  • testing: Animal testing had given it a clean, side-effect free bill of health.

Noun used with modifier

  • farm: The welfare of the farm animals is satisfactory under this system.
  • companion: Write a poem about keeping a companion animal, with a happy ending.
  • grazing: Savannah grasslands - Hot, dry grassy plains that often support large numbers of grazing herd animals.
  • laboratory: Now, they're targeting the use of laboratory animals.
  • zoo: A young girl takes a trip through a metaphorical zoo gathering animals symbolic of her negative thoughts.