carrion

noun

car·​ri·​on ˈker-ē-ən How to pronounce carrion (audio)
ˈka-rē-
: dead and putrefying flesh
Vultures live chiefly on carrion.
also : flesh unfit for food

Examples of carrion in a Sentence

Vultures live chiefly on carrion.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Vultures are large, daytime (diurnal) raptors that primarily feed on the decaying flesh of dead animals, known as carrion. Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 2 Nov. 2024 Goetz also calls out juniper and boxwood foliage for notoriously smelling like cat urine, hawthorn tree flowers for smelling like carrion, and the flashy flowers of crown fritillaria (Fritillaria imperialis) bulbs for mimicking a skunk. Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Oct. 2024 Nautiluses feed on a diet of small fish, crustaceans and carrion. Scott Travers, Forbes, 7 Sep. 2024 Here, the carrion in question was the Cuban American artist Jorge Pardo, who’d designed and built the house as a commission for Los Angeles MoCA. Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for carrion 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English caroine, from Anglo-French caroine, charoine, from Vulgar Latin *caronia, irregular from Latin carn-, caro flesh — more at carnal

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of carrion was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near carrion

Cite this Entry

“Carrion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carrion. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

carrion

noun
car·​ri·​on ˈkar-ē-ən How to pronounce carrion (audio)
: dead and decaying flesh

More from Merriam-Webster on carrion

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