Omnivorous

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ɑmˈnɪ.vɝ.əs/

Definitions

1. Characterized by the ability to eat and digest both plant and animal life as a primary diet while also exhibiting a broad curiosity in multiple fields or interests
2. Feeding on a variety of food sources, including both flora and fauna ; showing an extensive range of interests or enthusiasms across different subjects
3. Consuming diets composed of both vegetable matter and meat ; engaging with diverse topics or pursuits without restriction

Etymology: Omnivorous is a plain compound, built from the Latin "omnis" ("all") and the combining form "-vorous," from Latin "vorare" ("to devour"). The first element, "omni-," reached English directly from Latin and has long been used to form words meaning "all" or "in every way," while "-vorous" supplies the sense of eating. Put together, the word literally describes something that devours everything. Its meaning has widened over time. Where it once described animals that eat any kind of food, it now also describes people who take in a wide range of subjects, experiences or pursuits without restriction. The image of an appetite that takes in anything carries over from the diet sense to the intellectual one.

Synonyms: polyphagous, voracious

Antonyms: herbivorous, carnivorous