carcass

noun

car·​cass ˈkär-kəs How to pronounce carcass (audio)
Synonyms of carcassnext
1
: a dead body : corpse
especially : the dressed body of a meat animal
Butchers trimmed the meat from the carcass.
2
: the living, material, or physical body
It was nearly noon when he finally hauled his carcass out of bed.
3
: the decaying or worthless remains of a structure
the carcass of an abandoned automobile
4
: the underlying structure or frame of something (as of a piece of furniture)

Examples of carcass in a Sentence

the rusting carcass of an old truck the carcass of a squirrel that had been run over
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
On the other hand, in deep enough water, his carcass would likely fall to the ocean floor and foster a miniature ecosystem for years to come. Jessica Camille Aguirre, New Yorker, 2 May 2026 In the trail camera footage, which was captured on March 25, the cougars feed on a deer carcass. Aki Nace, CBS News, 1 May 2026 The Voyageurs Wolf Project recorded trail camera footage of a female cougar with three large kittens feeding on a deer carcass south of Voyageurs National Park in late March and shared it with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Jimmy Lovrien, Twin Cities, 30 Apr. 2026 Anacapa Island, for instance, has no services aside from some primitive campsites, a lighthouse and limited hiking options, but is also a major seabird rookery from April to August, which translates to lots of bird poop, noise, bird carcasses and territorial bird behavior. Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 29 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for carcass

Word History

Etymology

Middle English carcays, from Anglo-French carcas, carkeis

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of carcass was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Carcass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carcass. Accessed 5 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

carcass

noun
car·​cass ˈkär-kəs How to pronounce carcass (audio)
: a dead body
especially : the body of a meat animal prepared for market

Medical Definition

carcass

noun
car·​cass ˈkär-kəs How to pronounce carcass (audio)
: a dead body : corpse
especially : the dressed body of a meat animal

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