| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
consumer (kənˈsjuːmə) ![]() | |
| —n | |
| 1. | Compare producer a person who acquires goods and services for his or her own personal needs |
| 2. | a person or thing that consumes |
| 3. | (usually plural) ecology decomposer See also producer an organism, esp an animal, within a community that feeds upon plants or other animals |
consumer (kən-s 'mər) Pronunciation Key
A heterotrophic organism that feeds on other organisms in a food chain. ◇ Herbivores that feed on green plants and detritivores that feed on decaying matter are called primary consumers. Carnivores that feed on herbivores or detritivores are called secondary consumers, while those that feed on other carnivores are called tertiary consumers. Compare producer. |