animal
[ an-uh-muhl ]
/ ˈæn ə məl /
noun
adjective
of, relating to, or derived from animals: animal instincts; animal fats.
pertaining to the physical, sensual, or carnal nature of humans, rather than their spiritual or intellectual nature: animal needs.
Origin of animal
1300–50; Middle English (< Old French) < 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
-al1; E adj. also directly < Latin
animālis
synonym study for animal
2.
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.
8. See
carnal.
OTHER WORDS FROM animal
an·i·mal·ic [an-uh-mal-ik] /ˌæn əˈmæl ɪk/, an·i·ma·li·an [an-uh-mey-lee-uhn, -meyl-yuhn] /ˌæn əˈmeɪ li ən, -ˈmeɪl yən/, adjective non·an·i·mal, noun, adjective sem·i·an·i·mal, noun, adjective su·per·an·i·mal, adjectiveWords nearby animal
Example sentences from the Web for animal
British Dictionary definitions for animal
animal
/ (ˈænɪməl) /
noun
adjective
of, relating to, or derived from animals
animal products; an animal characteristic
of or relating to the physical needs or desires; carnal; sensual
Word Origin for animal
C14: from Latin
animal (n), from
animālis (adj) living, breathing; see
anima
Medical definitions for animal
animal
[ ăn′ə-məl ]
n.
A multicellular organism with membranous cell walls of the kingdom Animalia, differing from plants in certain typical characteristics such as capacity for locomotion, nonphotosynthetic metabolism, pronounced response to stimuli, restricted growth, and fixed bodily structure.
An animal organism other than a human, especially a mammal.
A human considered with respect to his or her physical, as opposed to spiritual, nature.
adj.
Relating to, characteristic of, or derived from an animal or animals.
Relating to the physical as distinct from the spiritual nature of humans.
Scientific definitions for animal
animal
[ ăn′ə-məl ]
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.