What does "carrion" mean?
Carrion: A contemptible or worthless person; -- a term of reproach. [Obs.] "Old feeble carrions." Shak.
Additional senses
- 2.Of or pertaining to dead and putrefying carcasses; feeding on carrion. A prey for carrion kites. Shak. Carrion beetle (Zoöl.), any beetle that feeds habitually on dead animals; -- also called sexton beetle and burying beetle. There are many kinds, belonging mostly to the family Silphidæ. -- Carrion buzzard (Zoöl.), a South American bird of several species and genera (as Ibycter, Milvago, and Polyborus), which act as scavengers. See Caracara. -- Carrion crow, the common European crow (Corvus corone) which feeds on carrion, insects, fruits, and seeds.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00