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cannibal definition

can·ni·bal (kan′ə bəl)

noun

  1. a person who eats human flesh
  2. an animal that eats its own kind

Etymology: Sp canibal, a savage, cannibal (term used by Columbus) < Arawakan Caniba, a cannibal people; akin to Carib galibi, lit., strong men

adjective

of, resembling, or having the habits of cannibals

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

cannibal Synonyms

cannibal

n.

man-eater, headhunter, savage, native, primitive, aborigine, eater of one's own kind, ogre, ogress, anthropophagus, anthrophagite, anthropophaginian; see also savage 1.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

cannibal Usage Examples

Adjective modifier

  • German: But the 'Rock DJ ' singer is not the only star on the German cannibal 's menu.

Converse of object

  • brand: Jul 03, 09:23 Depp branded a cannibal by tribesmen Johnny Depp is branded a cannibal by the tribesman of the Dominica island.

Converse of subject

  • eat: The food chain affects us all; only a few will be eaten by cannibals.

Modifies a noun

  • feast: On 30th December the party, much stronger after their cannibal feast, set off again.

Noun used with modifier

  • pygmy: He ran away from home at a young age and set up home with a local tribe of pygmy cannibals.
cannibal usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

cannibal quotes

Better sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian.

-Melville, Herman

cannibal quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"cannibal." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/cannibal>

APA Style

cannibal. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/cannibal

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