Meaning & use
omnivore
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Meaning
nouncountable
An animal or person that eats both plants and animals.
Grammar: Countable; the plural is omnivores. Compare herbivore (plants only) and carnivore (meat mainly).
Patterns
- a true/natural omnivore
- an opportunistic omnivore
- omnivores and herbivores
Humans are natural omnivores, able to digest both meat and plants.
Bears are omnivores that eat berries as well as fish.
As an omnivore, she enjoys both vegetable curries and chicken dishes.
Word forms
| plural | omnivores |
|---|
Common combinations
- a true omnivore
- Pigs are true omnivores and will eat almost anything.
- an opportunistic omnivore
- Raccoons are opportunistic omnivores, taking whatever food they find.
- omnivore diet
- An omnivore diet includes both plant and animal foods.
Synonyms and how they differ
Opposites
Word family
- omnivorous adjective
- Eating both plants and animals, or figuratively taking in everything available.
Commonly confused: omnivore or carnivore?
omnivore vs carnivore
A carnivore eats mainly meat and a herbivore eats only plants; an omnivore eats both.
Practice
Unlike a herbivore, an omnivore ___.
Choose one answer.
The prefix omni- means 'all': an omnivore eats everything, both plants and animals. 'Eats only meat' describes a carnivore, and 'eats only plants' describes a herbivore.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “omnivore”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.