herbivorous

IPA/hɜːˈbɪvərəs/
KK[hɚbˈɪvɚəs]IPA/ɜːrˈbɪvərəs/

herbivorous — adjective

  • herbivorouspositive
  • more herbivorouscomparative
  • most herbivoroussuperlative

1. describing an animal that gets all its food from plants, such as grass, leaves,

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing an animal that gets all its food from plants, such as grass, leaves, fruit, or seeds, and does not eat meat or other animals.

Example

Karim watched a documentary about herbivorous animals such as zebras and giraffes.

modifies the noun 'animals': herbivorous animals

The green iguana is a herbivorous lizard that eats leaves and flowers in tropical forests.

Common collocations
  • herbivorous animals
  • herbivorous mammals
  • herbivorous dinosaurs
  • herbivorous insects
  • herbivorous species
  • herbivorous reptiles
  • herbivorous diet
  • herbivorous feeding
Synonyms
  • plant-eating

    less formal, used in general descriptions of animal diets

  • phytophagous

    highly technical term used mainly for insects; rare outside specialist contexts

Antonyms
  • carnivorous

    describing animals that eat meat, the direct opposite dietary category

  • omnivorous

    describing animals that eat both plants and meat

Grammar Patterns

herbivorous + noun

be + herbivorous

Usage Note

This is a technical, scientific term. In everyday conversation, plant-eating is more commonly used to describe an animal's diet.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Herbivorous, plant-eating, and vegetarian all describe a diet based on plants, but they belong to different contexts. Herbivorous is a scientific term used in biology and zoology to classify animals that feed only on plants, such as cows, deer, and tortoises. Plant-eating is a more general, everyday description that applies to any creature that eats plants — it is less technical and less precise. Vegetarian, in contrast, refers specifically to humans who choose not to eat meat for ethical, health, or religious reasons; it is not used for animals in natural science. For example, a field guide describes a dinosaur as herbivorous, while a friend might say they are vegetarian. Using herbivorous in a biology report sounds precise and professional, whereas calling a person herbivorous would feel odd.

herbivorous ↗plant-eatingvegetarian ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • herbivorous animals
  • herbivorous mammals
  • herbivorous dinosaurs
  • herbivorous insects
  • herbivorous species

Adverbs

  • exclusively herbivorous
  • primarily herbivorous
  • strictly herbivorous
  • mostly herbivorous

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word herbivorous comes from Latin herba meaning 'grass' or 'plants' and vorare meaning 'to devour'. It entered English through French in the 1600s, originally used in scientific writing to classify animals by their diet.

First known use

1661

1661, in the meaning defined above