animal
any member of the kingdom Animalia, comprising multicellular organisms that have a well-defined shape and usually limited growth, can move voluntarily, actively acquire food and digest it internally, and have sensory and nervous systems that allow them to respond rapidly to stimuli: some classification schemes also include protozoa and certain other single-celled eukaryotes that have motility and animallike nutritional modes.
any such living thing other than a human being.
a mammal, as opposed to a fish, bird, etc.
the physical, sensual, or carnal nature of human beings; animality: the animal in every person.
an inhuman person; brutish or beastlike person: She married an animal.
thing: A perfect job? Is there any such animal?
of, relating to, or derived from animals: animal instincts; animal fats.
pertaining to the physical, sensual, or carnal nature of humans, rather than their spiritual or intellectual nature: animal needs.
Origin of animal
1synonym study For animal
Other words for animal
Other words from animal
- an·i·mal·ic [an-uh-mal-ik], /ˌæn əˈmæl ɪk/, an·i·ma·li·an [an-uh-mey-lee-uhn, -meyl-yuhn], /ˌæn əˈmeɪ li ən, -ˈmeɪl yən/, adjective
- non·an·i·mal, noun, adjective
- sem·i·an·i·mal, noun, adjective
- su·per·an·i·mal, adjective
Words Nearby animal
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use animal in a sentence
Although humans might have hunted at the lake, the researchers found no stone tools or animal bones bearing butchery marks.
Seven footprints may be the oldest evidence of humans on the Arabian Peninsula | Bruce Bower | September 17, 2020 | Science NewsIt was a forest that had persisted for more than 100 million years, sheltering a dizzying abundance of plants, animals, and fungi that were found nowhere else on Earth.
The Environmental Headache in Your Shampoo - Issue 90: Something Green | Anastasia Bendebury & Michael Shilo DeLay | September 16, 2020 | NautilusWith that coupling, you also get 693 phase-detect autofocus points to enable face tracking for both people and animals.
Sony built a tiny mirrorless camera with a full-frame sensor inside | Stan Horaczek | September 16, 2020 | Popular-ScienceThey’re also a key food source for bigger animals like bears and whales.
This Startup Is Growing Sushi-Grade Salmon From Cells in a Lab | Vanessa Bates Ramirez | September 16, 2020 | Singularity HubSpecies ranged in size from smaller, doggish animals to somewhat cowlike creatures.
Ancient Lystrosaurus tusks may show the oldest signs of a hibernation-like state | Susan Milius | September 16, 2020 | Science News
He then provides some insight into his psyche - complete with animal House reference.
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner! | Olivia Nuzzi | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTAlthough the NFL party animal loves flaunting his washboard abs, he seems more fratboy than Fabio.
‘A Gronking to Remember’ Speed Read: 8 Naughtiest Bits | Emily Shire | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTThis is acting in every sense of the word—bringing an unevolved animal to life and making it utterly believable.
Oscars 2015: The Daily Beast’s Picks, From Scarlett Johansson to ‘Boyhood’ | Marlow Stern | January 6, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTNot sure if you noticed, but 2014 has been a banner year for animal robots.
A 64-year-old animal trainer, he makes the six-hour round-trip every two weeks to submit to her and explore his sexuality.
Dungeons and Genital Clamps: Inside a Legendary BDSM Chateau | Ian Frisch | December 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn pursuing his alchemical researches, he discovered Prussian blue, and the animal oil which bears his name.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel MunsellBoth animal and man seemed to be dozing, but they woke into activity when the sahib approached.
The Red Year | Louis TracyA girl was moved to pity by a picture of a lamb caught in a thicket, and tried to lift the branch that lay across the animal.
Children's Ways | James SullyThe impulse to study appearances appears to reach far down in animal life.
Children's Ways | James SullySometimes the animal was caught in a trap which was nothing less than a hut of logs with a single entrance.
Our Little Korean Cousin | H. Lee M. Pike
British Dictionary definitions for animal
/ (ˈænɪməl) /
zoology any living organism characterized by voluntary movement, the possession of cells with noncellulose cell walls and specialized sense organs enabling rapid response to stimuli, and the ingestion of complex organic substances such as plants and other animals: Related prefix: zoo-
any mammal, esp any mammal except man
a brutish person
facetious a person or thing (esp in the phrase no such animal)
Australian informal a very dirty car
of, relating to, or derived from animals: animal products; an animal characteristic
of or relating to the physical needs or desires; carnal; sensual
Origin of animal
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for animal
[ ăn′ə-məl ]
Any of the multicellular organisms belonging to the kingdom Animalia. All animals are eukaryotes, with each of their cells having a nucleus containing DNA. Most animals develop from a blastula and have a digestive tract, nervous system, the ability to move voluntarily, and specialized sensory organs for recognizing and responding to stimuli in the environment. Animals are heterotrophs, feeding on plants, other animals, or organic matter. The first animals probably evolved from protists and appeared during the Precambrian Era.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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