all-devouring

7.4

Animals that eat both plants and other animals

adjective
/ɔl dɪˈvaʊərɪŋ/

: omnívoro

The all-devouring bear foraged for berries and fish.

Examples

In the forest, raccoons exhibit all-devouring habits, eating everything from plants to insects to eggs.
The all-devouring appetite of pigs allows them to survive in many different environments.
Some bears are all-devouring creatures, consuming berries as well as small animals when available.
Is the all-devouring turtle also a predator?
In the forest, raccoons exhibit all-devouring habits, eating everything from plants to insects to eggs.
Some bears are all-devouring creatures, consuming berries as well as small animals when available.
The all-devouring appetite of pigs allows them to thrive on a varied diet that includes both plants and meat.

Synonyms

omnivorous

vsall-devouring

4 5.6

Able to eat both plants and animals

is a different word form with the same meaning

polyphagous

vsall-devouring

Specialized

9.9

An animal or insect that eats many different kinds of food

emphasizes eating both plants and animals, not just wide diet breadth

Antonyms

carnivorous

17 5.5

Eating other animals or insects for food

herbivorous

Specialized

1 6.7

An animal that eats only plants

How Carnivorous

carnivorous

17 5.5

all-devouring

7.4

herbivorous

Specialized

1 6.7

Surface Forms

all-devouring positive

Morphology

all-devouring = devouring (transparent) = all + devour + ing

Readable combination of the intensifying prefix 'all-' and the participial adjective 'devouring' yields the sense 'consuming everything', which learners who know 'all' and 'devour' can infer.

Etymology

All-devouring comes from the parts all and devour, and devour comes from an old Latin word meaning 'to eat up'. So all-devouring paints the picture of something that 'eats everything', which is why we use it for animals that eat both plants and animals.