Omnivorously

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a manner that involves consuming both plant and animal matter, exhibiting a varied diet in which both forms of nutritional sources are included, and characterized by an all-encompassing approach to eating habits
2. Describing an eating style that encompasses both flora and fauna, where the dietary consumption includes a wide range of organic materials, and embodying the versatility of nutrient acquisition from multiple sources
3. Referring to a diet that indiscriminately incorporates vegetables and meat, demonstrating an adaptable feeding pattern that leverages multiple ecological niches, and indicating a comprehensive nutritional strategy

Etymology: "Omnivorously" is simply "omnivorous" with the adverbial suffix "-ly" attached, which in English turns an adjective into an adverb describing how something is done. The suffix descends from an Old English form, "-līce," which was itself tied to the word for "body" or "form" in the sense of "like" or "in the manner of." So the adverb means, in effect, "in an omnivorous manner." The base word is the more interesting half. "Omnivorous" joins the Latin "omnis," meaning "all" or "every," with "-vorous," from Latin "vorare," "to devour" or "to swallow whole." Its roots run back to Proto-Italic "opnis" and, further still, to ancient Indo-European roots, though these matter little to a speaker today. English formed the adjective from these classical building blocks, which means the Romans never used "omnivorous" themselves; it is an English compound built from Latin parts.

Synonyms: eagerly, voraciously, greedily, insatiably, hungrily