carcass

/ˈkɑːkəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkɑːrkəs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkär-kəs/ (ame, mw)

carcass — noun

  • carcasssingular
  • carcassesplural

1. A dead animal body, particularly from a large creature that people butcher for m

1.名詞B2
釋義

A dead animal body, particularly from a large creature that people butcher for meat or wild animals scavenge.

例句

Hunters found the carcass of a wild boar near the stream, half-eaten by wolves.

carcass of [wild animal]

Mei's uncle loaded the sheep carcass onto his truck for the butcher.

carcass + for [purpose/butcher]

同義詞
  • corpse

    used for human bodies, not animals

  • cadaver

    formal or medical term for a dead body used in dissection or study

  • remains

    broader term; can refer to partial bodies, skeletons, or cremated ashes of any animal or human

文法句型

carcass + of + [animal]

adjective + carcass

用法筆記

Carcass is reserved for dead animals in neutral contexts. For a dead human body, use corpse. Carcass can also be used humorously or insultingly about a living person's body (e.g., 'Get your carcass out of that chair!').

常見錯誤

❌They found a human carcass in the river.
✅They found a human corpse in the river.
💡Carcass is not used for human bodies in neutral or formal writing.
❌The cat left a bird carcass on the doorstep.
✅The cat left a dead bird on the doorstep.
💡Carcass sounds too dramatic for a small animal; corpse or dead body are more natural for small creatures.

2. The broken, burned, or rusted remains of a vehicle, building, or machine after i

2.名詞B2
釋義

The broken, burned, or rusted remains of a vehicle, building, or machine after it has been destroyed or abandoned.

例句

The rusted carcass of an old fishing boat lay half-buried in the sand.

adjective + carcass + of + [vehicle]

Firefighters searched the carcass of the burned warehouse for any survivors.

carcass of [building]

同義詞
  • wreck

    emphasises damage from an accident or collision; often used for cars and ships

  • wreckage

    the scattered pieces left after destruction, not a single intact frame

  • shell

    the hollow outer frame of a building or vehicle with the inside removed

  • remains

    more general; can describe anything left behind after damage

文法句型

[adjective] + carcass + of + [vehicle/structure]

carcass of [vehicle/object]

用法筆記

This sense describes a structure that still keeps its recognisable shape — the carcass of a car still looks like a car. For a building that is completely reduced to piles of rubble, use ruins instead.

常見錯誤

❌The old church was reduced to a carcass by the earthquake.
✅The old church was reduced to ruins by the earthquake.
💡Carcass implies a recognizable frame; ruins is better for total collapse.
❌The carcass of the computer was scattered across the floor.
✅The pieces of the computer were scattered across the floor.
💡Carcass typically describes a single large object that still has its overall shape, not fragments.