omnivore

American  

[om-nuh-vawr, -vohr] / ˈɒm nəˌvɔr, -ˌvoʊr /

noun

1. someone or something that is omnivorous.

2. an omnivorous animal.

---

omnivore British  

/ ˈɒmnɪˌvɔː /

noun

1. an omnivorous person or animal

---

omnivore Scientific  

/ ŏm′nə-vôr′ /

1. An organism that eats both plants and animals.

---

omnivore Cultural  

1. An animal whose normal diet includes both plants and animals. Human beings and bears, for instance, are omnivores.

---

Etymology

Origin of omnivore

First recorded in 1885–90; from French, from Latin omnivorus “all-devouring”; see omnivorous ( def. ); noun use modeled on carnivore, herbivore, etc.

Explanation

An omnivore is an animal that eats both plants and animals for their main food. Pigs are omnivores, so they would be just as happy eating an apple, or the worm inside the apple. Omnivore comes from the Latin words omni, meaning "all, everything," and vorare, meaning "to devour." So an omnivore will eat pretty much eat anything in sight. Humans are genetically designed to be omnivores, but some people choose to limit their diets. When a person is described as an omnivore, it usually means he's willing to eat all kinds of foods and is not a vegetarian or a vegan or on some other kind of special diet.

Example Sentences

My husband, an omnivore, thinks there is nothing finer than this very gravy on top of his favorite breakfast bowl that begins with a hefty serving of grits topped with perfectly cooked, over-medium, fried eggs.

From Salon • Feb. 13, 2025

The omnivore diet included chicken, fish, eggs, cheese, dairy and other animal-sourced foods.

From Science Daily • Nov. 30, 2023

The aequorea victoria are classed as omnivore, and feed on plankton.

From BBC • Sep. 11, 2023

Before the pandemic, she was a cultural omnivore, busy with concerts and art openings four to five nights a week.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 10, 2023

Today, the modern omnivore has almost no culture to fall back on.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan