Herbivorus

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. An animal that bases its diet almost entirely on vegetation rather than animal matter
2. A creature whose nutritional needs are met primarily through the consumption of plants and other plant-based sources
3. An organism that consumes mainly plant material for sustenance

Etymology: "Herbivorus" is Latin, built from "herba" (grass, herb, green plant) and "-vorus," from "vorare," to devour or swallow whole. The combination literally means "plant-devouring," and Latin used such compounds freely, as in "carnivorus" (flesh-eating) and "omnivorus" (eating everything). English took the word in the 17th century, and it was a learned coinage made from Latin materials rather than a term inherited from the classical world. Ancient Romans did not use it in this sense for animals in general; the modern biological use grew with the naturalists who classified animal diets. The adjective form "herbivorous" is the English version, and the "-ous" ending was added to fit English patterns. The shared stem "vor-" also appears in "voracious" and "devour," which is why the word feels so close to the idea of eating greedily.

Synonyms: herbivorous

Antonyms: carnivorous