carcass
/'kɑ:kəs/ Cách viết khác : (carcass) /'kɑ:kəs/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. The dead body of an animal, especially one prepared for use as food: This is the primary meaning, referring to the body of a slaughtered animal after the removal of inedible parts like the head, feet, and internal organs, ready for butchering. 2. The decaying or skeletal remains of a dead animal: This meaning emphasizes the state of decomposition or the bare bones after natural death. 3. The remaining structure or framework of something that is ruined or stripped of its useful parts: A figurative use describing the hollow shell or skeleton of a building, vehicle, or machine that has been destroyed or stripped.
Examples of Usage
- Noun (Animal Body):
- The butcher hung the beef carcass in the cold room.
- Vultures were circling above the lion's carcass.
- Noun (Remaining Structure):
- Firefighters searched through the burnt-out carcass of the building.
- The rusting carcass of an old car lay in the field.
Advanced Usage
- "To save one's (own) carcass": A humorous or informal idiom meaning to save one's own life or skin, to avoid danger or trouble.
- When the argument started, he left quickly to save his own carcass.
- Used in specific industries:
- Carcass trade/meat: Refers to the wholesale trade of whole animal bodies or to fresh, unprocessed meat (as opposed to canned or preserved).
- Tire carcass: In manufacturing, the structural body of a tire before the tread is added.
Variants and Related Words
- Carcase: An alternative, less common spelling of carcass.
- Carrion: (noun) Decaying flesh of dead animals. While related, refers specifically to the rotting flesh as food for scavengers, not the whole body structure.
- Corpse: (noun) The dead body of a human being. Carcass is typically not used for humans except in a highly derogatory or poetic context.
Synonyms
- Body (of an animal)
- Remains
- Cadaver (more clinical, can be used for animals or humans)
- Framework (for the structural meaning)
- Shell (for the structural meaning)
- Hulk (for a large, empty structure)
Related Phrases
- Carcass disposal: The process of getting rid of animal bodies, often an environmental or agricultural concern.
- Dressed carcass: A carcass that has been prepared (e.g., bled, skinned, eviscerated) for further processing or sale.
Related Idioms
- To be a walking carcass: To be extremely thin, weak, or near death.
- After the long illness, he looked like a walking carcass.
Noun
- the dead body of an animal especially one slaughtered and dressed for food