HERBIVOROUS

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does herbivorous mean? 

• HERBIVOROUS (adjective)
  The adjective HERBIVOROUS has 1 sense:

1. feeding only on plants

  Familiarity information: HERBIVOROUS used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HERBIVOROUS (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Feeding only on plants

Similar:

anthophagous; anthophilous (feeding on flowers)

baccivorous (feeding on berries)

carpophagous; fruit-eating (feeding on fruit)

grass-eating (feeding on grasses)

phytophagic; phytophagous; phytophilous; plant-eating ((of animals) feeding on plants)

saprophagous; saprozoic ((of certain animals) feeding on dead or decaying animal matter)

saprophytic ((of some plants or fungi) feeding on dead or decaying organic matter)

Antonym:

carnivorous ((used of plants as well as animals) feeding on animals)

insectivorous ((of animals and plants) feeding on insects)

omnivorous (feeding on both plants and animals)

 Context examples 

"Removal of algae grazers such as herbivorous fish and sea urchins leads to increases in macroalgae, which then leads to increased organic carbon, contributing to the degradation of coral reefs," Weber adds.

(Microbes reflect the health of coral reefs, National Science Foundation)

Carnivora are primarily meat eaters, however bears are omnivorous and herbivorous pandas may consume fish and insects.

(Carnivora, NCI Thesaurus)

Titanosaurian sauropods, the group that includes Rukwatitan, were herbivorous dinosaurs known for their iconic large body sizes, long necks and wide stance.

(Paleontologists discover new species of titanosaurian dinosaur in Tanzania, NSF)