cannibalize
/'kænibəlaiz/ Cách viết khác : (cannibalise) /'kænibəlaiz/
Definition
- Verb (transitive):
- To use parts from one machine, vehicle, or system to repair or build another: This meaning describes the practice of taking components from a non-functioning or less important unit to maintain or create a different unit.
- To eat the flesh of one's own species; to be a cannibal: This is the literal, biological meaning of consuming members of the same species, most commonly applied to humans.
Usage and Examples
- Verb (using parts):
- The mechanic had to cannibalize the old truck to fix the new one.
- To meet the deadline, the team cannibalized a prototype for its key components.
- Verb (eating flesh):
- Some insects are known to cannibalize their young under stressful conditions.
- The ancient tribe was rumored to cannibalize their enemies.
Advanced Usage
- Business/Marketing Context: In business, "cannibalize" is often used metaphorically to describe a situation where a company's new product reduces sales of its own existing products.
- The new smartphone model is expected to cannibalize sales of the company's older flagship device.
- Organizational Context: It can refer to taking resources (like personnel or funding) from one department or project to support another within the same organization.
- The new initiative ended up cannibalizing talent from our most successful team.
Variants and Related Words
- Cannibalisation (noun, chiefly British English: Cannibalization): The act or process of cannibalizing.
- The cannibalisation of the old fleet kept the remaining planes flying.
- Market cannibalization is a risk when launching a similar product.
- Cannibal (noun): A person or animal that eats the flesh of its own species.
Synonyms
- For using parts: Strip, salvage, harvest, dismantle for parts.
- For eating flesh: Practice cannibalism (this is a phrase, not a single-word synonym).
Phrasal Verbs
This word does not commonly form phrasal verbs.
Related Idioms
There are no common idioms that use the exact word "cannibalize." The metaphorical business usage itself functions as an idiomatic extension of the core meaning.
Verb
-
use parts of something to repair something else
-
eat human flesh
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