Dictionary

omnivorous en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ɑmˈnɪ.vɝ.əs/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep-der. Proto-Italic *opnis Latin omnisder. English omni- English -vorous English omnivorous From omni- + -vorous.

Meanings

1. Having a diet which is neither exclusively carnivorous nor exclusively herbivorous.
2. (figuratively) Having an interest in a variety of subjects.
   • He was omnivorous in his appetite for knowledge, quite catholic in his range of interests […] 2003, Simon Winchester, The Meaning of Everything; The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary, New York: Oxford University Press, page 72:
   • The Beckettian progression appears occasionally: while Miss Counihan (static) is an omnivorous reader and Murphy (transitional) a strict non-reader, Cooper is an analphabete. 1968, Robert Ligon Harrison, Samuel Beckett's Murphy; a critical excursion, page 57:
3. (figuratively) All-consuming.
4. Of a parasite: attacking many species; not confined to a single host plant.

Forms

Coordinates

insectivorous · herbivorous · folivorous · carnivorous · frugivorous

Deriveds

omnivorousness · omnivorously

Relateds

voracious · omnivore · devouring

Translations (36)

fr omnivore (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · uk всеї́дний (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · sv allätande (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · km ដែលស៊ីអាហារគ្រប់ប្រភេទ (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · fi kaikkiruokainen (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · cs všežravý (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · it onnivoro (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · el παμφάγος (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · pt onívoro (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · bg всеяден (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · hu mindenevő (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · ar قَارِت (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · tl tanankainin (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · ka ყოვლისმშთანთქმელი (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · eo ĉiovora (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · ca omnívor (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · eu orojale (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · hu omnivor (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · grc παμφάγος (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · pl wszystkożerny (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · pt omnívoro (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · ms maserba (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · cy hollysol (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · ast omnívoru (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · hi सर्वाहारी (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · nn altetande (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · ar كَالِش (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · de allfressend (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · nb altetende (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · izh kaikkirookain (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · ka ყველაფრისმჭამელი (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · la omnivorus (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · ru всея́дный (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · es omnívoro (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · fo altetandi (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food) · eu omniboro (having the ability to eat both animal and vegetable food)