Carnivorous means eating meat. A carnivorous animal is one that hunts and eats other animals to survive. Lions, sharks, eagles, and wolves are all carnivorous: they need meat for energy and nutrition.

The word comes from Latin roots meaning “flesh-eating.” Scientists use carnivore as a noun to describe these meat-eaters, separating them from herbivores (plant-eaters like deer and rabbits) and omnivores (animals like bears and humans that eat both plants and meat).

Some carnivorous animals are specialized hunters. A cheetah's entire body is built for chasing down prey at incredible speeds. A great white shark has rows of razor-sharp teeth perfect for catching fish and seals. Even small carnivores like weasels are fierce hunters, taking down rabbits much larger than themselves.

The word can describe plants too. Carnivorous plants like the Venus flytrap and pitcher plant trap and digest insects. They evolved this ability because they grow in soil so poor in nutrients that catching bugs helps them survive. When an insect lands on a Venus flytrap's leaves, the plant snaps shut in less than a second, trapping its meal inside.