Meaning & use
herbivore
Last updated
UK/ˈhɜːbɪvɔː(r)/
US/ˈhɜːrbɪvɔːr/
Meaning
nouncountable
An animal that eats mainly plants.
Grammar: Countable: a herbivore, two herbivores. Often used in biology and general science.
Patterns
- a herbivore feeds on plants
- herbivores and carnivores
Cows and sheep are herbivores.
The zoo has a section for large herbivores like elephants.
Many herbivores have special teeth for grinding plant material.
Word forms
| plural | herbivores |
|---|
Common combinations
- large herbivore
- The park is home to several large herbivores, such as deer.
- herbivore diet
- A herbivore diet consists mostly of leaves, grass, and fruit.
- obligate herbivore
- The koala is an obligate herbivore, eating almost only eucalyptus leaves.
- marine herbivore
- The green sea turtle is a marine herbivore that grazes on seagrass.
Synonyms and how they differ
- plant-eater
- A simpler, informal term that means the same but is less technical.
- primary consumer
- In ecology, a herbivore is often called a primary consumer because it feeds directly on producers.
Opposites
Word family
- herbivorous adjective
- Feeding on plants.
- herbivory noun
- The act or habit of eating plants.
Commonly confused: herbivore or carnivore?
herbivore vs carnivore
A carnivore eats meat, while a herbivore eats plants. An omnivore eats both.
Practice
A rabbit is a _____ because it eats only plants.
Choose one answer.
A herbivore eats plants. A carnivore eats meat, an omnivore eats both, and an insectivore eats insects, so those do not fit the description.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “herbivore”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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