“animals” is a form of
animal
UK /ˈænɪməl/ · US /ˈænəməl/ noun, adjective, proper noun
Forms animals
- noun A multicellular organism of the kingdom Animalia that is usually mobile, with cells that are not encased in a rigid cell wall (distinguishing them from plants and fungi) and derives energy solely from the consumption of other organisms. “Humans, like other animals, need air to breathe and food to eat.”
- noun (loosely) Any member of the kingdom Animalia other than a human.
- noun (loosely) A higher animal; an animal related to humans. “When he's hungry my toddler opens his mouth like an animal instead of asking us to feed him.”
- noun (colloquial) A tetrapod; a land-dwelling nonhuman vertebrate.
- noun A warm-blooded animal; a mammal or bird.
- noun A non-human mammal. “I spent my summer studying the animals and birds of the two islands.”
- noun (figuratively, derogatory) A person who behaves wildly; a bestial, brutal, brutish, cruel, or inhuman person. “My students are animals.”
- noun (figuratively, derogatory) A person who overeats or eats rapidly and noisily.
- adjective Of or relating to animals. “animal instincts”
- adjective Raw, base, unhindered by social codes. “animal passions”
- adjective Pertaining to the spirit or soul; relating to sensation or innervation.
- adjective (slang, Ireland) Excellent.
- proper noun A nickname given to people, especially wild people.
- noun (slang) A fan of Kesha, an American singer.
Synonyms
critter beast brute monster savage belly-god big back buzgut cormorant dog epicure gannet glutton gorger gourmand gormandizer greedyguts guttle hog Homer Simpson animate being creature fauna carnal fleshly sensual
Etymology
From Middle English animal, from Old French animal, from Latin animal, a nominal use of the adjective form animāle, neuter of animālis, from anima (“breath, spirit”).
Displaced native English deer (outside puristic usage) in the general animal sense, from Middle English der, deor (“animal”), from Old English dēor, related to German Tier (“animal”), Dutch dier, Danish dyr, Swedish djur etc. Displaced also rother (“horned animal, esp. ox”, now obsolete), from Middle English rother, reother (“a bovine”), from Old English hrīþer, hrȳþer.
From Middle English animal, from Latin animālis, from either anima (“breath, spirit”) or animus. Originally distinct from the noun, it became associated with attributive use of the noun and is now indistinguishable from it.
Webster’s 1913
- noun An organized living being endowed with sensation and the power of voluntary motion, and also characterized by taking its food into an internal cavity or stomach for digestion; by giving carbonic acid to the air and taking oxygen in the process of respiration; and by increasing in motive power or active aggressive force with progress to maturity.
- noun One of the lower animals; a brute or beast, as distinguished from man; as, men and animals.
- adjective Of or relating to animals; as, animal functions.
- adjective Pertaining to the merely sentient part of a creature, as distinguished from the intellectual, rational, or spiritual part; as, the animal passions or appetites.
Etymology [L., fr. anima breath, soul: cf. F. animal. See Animate.]
Etymology [Cf. F. animal.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “animal”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details