carcass

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   The dead body of an animal, especially one that has been slaughtered or has decayed.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a carcass' or 'several carcasses'.

   Patterns

   • a carcass of an animal
   • the carcass of a cow
   • rotting carcass

   The vultures circled above the carcass of a deer.

   The butcher hung the carcass in the cold room.

   We found the carcass of a fox by the road.

2. 2nouncountablefigurative

   The remaining frame or shell of something, such as a building or vehicle.

   Grammar: Countable: often used with 'the' when referring to a specific ruined structure.

   Patterns

   • the carcass of a building
   • the carcass of a car

   The carcass of the old factory stood empty for years.

   After the fire, only the carcass of the house remained.

Word forms

Common combinations

animal carcass

The animal carcass was left to rot.

rotting carcass

A rotting carcass attracted flies.

carcass of a cow

The carcass of a cow hung in the butcher's shop.

carcass disposal

Carcass disposal must follow health regulations.

Synonyms and how they differ

corpse

Corpse is used for a dead human body, while carcass is for animals.

body

Body is a general term that can refer to a living or dead human or animal; carcass is more specific to dead animals.

remains

Remains often refers to parts of a dead body, especially human, and is more respectful.

Commonly confused: carcass or corpse?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “carcass”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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