animal

[ an-uh-muhl ]

noun

1. any member of the kingdom Animalia, comprising multicellular organisms that have a well-defined shape and usually limited growth, can move voluntarily, actively acquire food and digest it internally, and have sensory and nervous systems that allow them to respond rapidly to stimuli: some classification schemes also include protozoa and certain other single-celled eukaryotes that have motility and animallike nutritional modes.
2. any such living thing other than a human being.
3. a mammal, as opposed to a fish, bird, etc.
4. the physical, sensual, or carnal nature of human beings; animality:

   the animal in every person.

5. an inhuman person; brutish or beastlike person:

   She married an animal.

   Synonyms: monster

6. thing:

   A perfect job? Is there any such animal?

adjective

1. of, relating to, or derived from animals:

   animal instincts; animal fats.

2. pertaining to the physical, sensual, or carnal nature of humans, rather than their spiritual or intellectual nature:

   animal needs.

   Synonyms: brutal, beastly, physical, fleshly

animal

/ ˈænɪməl /

noun

1. zoology any living organism characterized by voluntary movement, the possession of cells with noncellulose cell walls and specialized sense organs enabling rapid response to stimuli, and the ingestion of complex organic substances such as plants and other animals zoo-
2. any mammal, esp any mammal except man
3. a brutish person
4. facetious.
   a person or thing (esp in the phrase no such animal )
5. informal.
   a very dirty car

adjective

1. of, relating to, or derived from animals

   animal products

   an animal characteristic

2. of or relating to the physical needs or desires; carnal; sensual

animal

/ ăn′ə-məl /

1. Any of the multicellular organisms belonging to the kingdom Animalia. All animals are eukaryotes, with each of their cells having a nucleus containing DNA. Most animals develop from a blastula and have a digestive tract, nervous system, the ability to move voluntarily, and specialized sensory organs for recognizing and responding to stimuli in the environment. Animals are heterotrophs, feeding on plants, other animals, or organic matter. The first animals probably evolved from protists and appeared during the Precambrian Era.

Other Words From

• an·i·mal·ic [an-, uh, -, mal, -ik], an·i·ma·li·an [an-, uh, -, mey, -lee-, uh, n, -, meyl, -y, uh, n], adjective
• non·ani·mal noun adjective
• semi·ani·mal noun adjective
• super·ani·mal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of animal¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English (from Old French ), from Latin, noun derivative (with loss of final vowel and shortening of ā ) of animāle, neuter of animālis “living, animate,” equivalent to anim(a) “air, breath” + -ālis; English adjective also directly from Latin animālis; -al ¹;

Word History and Origins

Origin of animal¹

C14: from Latin animal (n), from animālis (adj) living, breathing; see anima

Synonym Study

Animal, beast, brute refer to sentient creatures as distinct from minerals and plants; figuratively, they usually connote qualities and characteristics below the human level. Animal is the general word; figuratively, it applies merely to the body or to animal-like characteristics: An athlete is a magnificent animal. Beast refers to four-footed animals; figuratively, it suggests a base, sensual nature: A glutton is a beast. Brute implies absence of ability to reason; figuratively, it connotes savagery as well: a drunken brute. See carnal.

Example Sentences

Look, I’m an animal lover, but how does one begin to sort through all the pleas?

From Los Angeles Times

Steinmetz inched his drone up and back for a downward diagonal view on Aaron and his animal, until Mark returned: “I think that’ll be enough for today.”

From New York Times

The system, called Squirrel Agent, has been trained on thousands of images of the animals allowing it to tell them apart with 97% accuracy, its developer says.

From BBC

For scientists these cavernous pits are a journey back in time, to a place where they can study animals and plants they had thought extinct.

From BBC

"I've been fascinated by giant animals ever since I was a kid. I'd spend hours reading books, watching movies, and imagining what it would be like if dinosaurs were still around today," said Lin.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• beast
• creature
• pet

More About Animal

What does animal mean?

In the field of science, an animal is a living thing that meets specific requirements:

• It is made up of more than one cell.
• It has a well-defined shape and limited growth.
• It can move voluntarily.
• It can get its own food and digest it within itself.
• It has sensory and nervous systems that allow it to react to its environment.

This definition includes human beings. Outside of scientific usage, animal is used in several ways.

Most commonly, an animal is a living being that meets the above requirements but is not a human being.

An animal can be just a mammal, that is, an animal that has fur, gives birth, and produces milk. A dog is a mammal, for example, while a fish is not.

Animal is also used to describe something that is related to or comes from an animal, such as animal fats (fats that come from an animal) or animal behavior, which is often separate from human behavior.

Example: Scientists have discovered a new group of animals that live in the extreme depths of the Great Barrier Reef.

Where does animal come from?

The first records of the term animal come from the 1300s. It ultimately comes from the Latin animālis, meaning “living,” or “animate.” All animals are living things.

While scientists use animal to mean something very specific, in everyday speech, animal is used much more broadly. When someone acts rude, brutish, or even cruel, they might be described as acting like an animal, even though animals don’t do things with the intention to be mean to another animal. People also use the term animal to refer to anything that is very different from something else, as in I like cooking dinner, but cleaning up is a completely different animal.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to animal?

• animalic (adjective)
• animalian (adjective)
• animalist (noun)
• animalistic (adjective)
• animalize (verb)

What are some synonyms for animal?

• beast
• bodily
• creature
• natural
• pet

What are some words that share a root or word element with animal?

• animate
• anima
• animal behavior
• animal companion

What are some words that often get used in discussing animal?

• different
• instinct
• mammal
• type
• wild

How is animal used in real life?

Animal is used in many different contexts, especially in the scientific fields. When used casually, it is primarily used to describe creatures, such as pets, or to describe human’s nature in a negative context.

Me seeing animal: hello
Me seeing human: hell no

— 9GAG (@9GAG) December 15, 2018

if you spontaneously say “hey bud” when you see an animal of any sort. please rt

— cara giaimo (@cjgiaimo) July 18, 2018

I’m the last person to bully but have an animal instinct to protect and defend my family.

— Khloé (@khloekardashian) July 18, 2016

 

 

Try using animal!

Which of the following is NOT a synonym for animal?

A. boulder
B. beast
C. creature
D. pet