cannibal — a person who eats human flesh
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a person who eats human flesh
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈkænɪbəl/
Example Sentences
- The zombie movie was so unrealistic - real cannibals use seasoning!
- My diet app called me a cannibal because I ate my words so often.
- The documentary explored the historical accounts of cannibal societies.
cannibal
NOUN[/ˈkænɪbəl/]
a person who eats human flesh
The shipwrecked sailor froze when he realized the islanders were cannibals.
The cannibal's strong mandible makes even animals tremble!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Spanish Caníbales, the name sixteenth-century Spanish explorers used for Caribbean indigenous peoples. Columbus employed this term to refer to the Carib people, whom Europeans believed practiced cannibalism, leading to the generalized term for human flesh-eaters.
Breakdown
Caníbales (Carib people, native Caribbean name) → cannibal (English adaptation). The Spanish ethnonym was reanalyzed as describing the practice rather than the people, shifting from proper noun to common noun with pejorative meaning.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The zombie movie was so unrealistic - real cannibals use seasoning!”
“My diet app called me a cannibal because I ate my words so often.”
“The documentary explored the historical accounts of cannibal societies.”
“Anthropologists study cannibal rituals from an academic perspective.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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