Animals

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈæn.ɪ.məlz/

Definitions

1. Living organisms that typically have the ability to move, consume organic matter, breathe oxygen, and reproduce sexually or asexually
2. Multicellular organisms that are typically characterized by their capacity for movement, consumption of food, oxygen dependency, and reproductive behaviors
3. Diverse species of living creatures that are known for mobility, needing organic sustenance, utilizing oxygen, and exhibiting various reproductive methods

Etymology: "Animals" is simply the plural of "animal," so its history is the history of the singular. The word comes from Latin "animal," a noun formed from the neuter of the adjective "animalis," meaning "of breath or life," which in turn derives from "anima," meaning "breath, spirit." The Romans thus named living creatures by what set them apart: the breath that animated them. The word reached English through Old French "animal" and entered Middle English in that form. Before it took over, English had a native word for the same idea, "deor," which survives in "deer" and is cognate with German "Tier" and Dutch "dier." "Deer" once meant any beast, not just the animal we now call by that name, and the Latin borrowing gradually displaced it in the general sense.

Synonyms: creatures, beasts, fauna, living beings, organisms

Antonyms: humans, plants, inanimate objects, machines, artifacts