cannibalization
- noun
- /ˌkænɪbəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/
- Offensive
:
canibalismo
- Scientists observed cannibalization in the insect colony when resources became scarce.
Examples
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The documentary showed rare footage of cannibalization in wild rodent communities.
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The cannibalization of young fish is common in some species.
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The sudden lack of food led to cannibalization among the isolated animal population.
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Why do some animals engage in cannibalization?
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In some animal species, cannibalization occurs when food is scarce, and individuals consume their own kind.
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The scientist observed cannibalization among the young turtles during the harsh winter months.
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During the famine, instances of cannibalization were reported among the local populations as survival became paramount.
Synonyms
26
7.5
Eating members of the same species, for example people eating other people
The act of eating the body of another person
To eat the body of another person as food
Eating members of the same group, often as a ritual
A practice of eating people from another group, often enemies
Surface Forms
Morphology
cannibalization = cannibalize (transparent) = cannibal + ize + ation
Built directly from the verb 'cannibalize' (+ -ation); the literal meaning of eating one's own species is clearly derived from the base.
Etymology
Cannibalization comes from the word cannibal, first used for people who ate other people and borrowed from Spanish caníbal, from the name 'Carib'. So in nature cannibalization means 'eating their own kind', which is why we use the word for animals or people that do this.