Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
omnivorous. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
omnivorous, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
omnivorous in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
omnivorous you have here. The definition of the word
omnivorous will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
omnivorous, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From omni- + -vorous; from the Latin omni, all and -vore.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɑmˈnɪ.vɝ.əs/
- Hyphenation: om‧niv‧o‧rous
- Rhymes: -ɪvəɹəs
Adjective
omnivorous (not comparable)
- Having a diet which is neither exclusively carnivorous nor exclusively herbivorous.
- (figuratively) Having an interest in a variety of subjects.
1968, Robert Ligon Harrison, Samuel Beckett's Murphy; a critical excursion, page 57:The Beckettian progression appears occasionally: while Miss Counihan (static) is an omnivorous reader and Murphy (transitional) a strict non-reader, Cooper is an analphabete.
2003, Simon Winchester, The Meaning of Everything; The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary, New York: Oxford University Press, page 72:He was omnivorous in his appetite for knowledge, quite catholic in his range of interests […]
- (figuratively) All-consuming.
Derived terms
Translations
having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food