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carrion

noun
/ˈkæ.ɹɪ.ən/UK/ˈkɛ.ɹi.ən/US

Etymology

The noun is derived from Middle English caroyne (“corpse, carrion, something disgusting”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman careine, caroigne, charogne, and Old French charoigne, Northern Old French caˈronië, caroine, caroigne (modern French charogne), probably from Vulgar Latin *carōnia, from Latin caro (“flesh”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cut off, sever; to divide, separate”)) + -ia (suffix forming nouns). Doublet of crone. The regular modern English form would be *carren, *carron /ˈkæɹən/ (this is found dialectally; see similar kyarn); the intervening /i/ is either a hypercorrection based on the analogy of words like merlin/merlion or, more likely, represents metathesis of the last element of the diphthong in caroyne. The adjective is derived from the noun.

  1. derived from *(s)ker-✻ — “to cut off, sever; to divide, separate”
  2. derived from caro — “flesh”
  3. derived from *carōnia✻
  4. derived from caˈronië
  5. derived from charoigne
  6. derived from careine
  7. inherited from caroyne — “corpse, carrion, something disgusting”

Definitions

  1. Rotting flesh of a dead animal or person.

    • Vultures feed on carrion.
    • [W]ee ſee by experience, that ſome [brute beasts] feedeth on yͤ graſſe in yͤ fyelds ſome liues in the ayre eating flyes, others vpon yͤ wormes in carin, others wͭ [with] that they fynd vnder the water.
    • [W]hat disordered slippery decks of a whale-ship are comparable to the unspeakable carrion of those battle-fields from which so many soldiers return to drink in all ladies' plaudits?

  2. Corrupt or horrid matter.

    • [T]here are melancholy sceptics with a taste for carrion who batten on the hideous facts in history,—persecutions, inquisitions, St. Bartholomew massacres, devilish lives, […]
    • Roman fashionable society hated Cæsar, and any carrion was welcome to them which would taint his reputation.

  3. Filth, garbage.

  4. ›+ 10 more definitions

    1. The flesh of a living human body

      The flesh of a living human body; also (Christianity), sinful human nature.

      • Shy[lock]. My ovvne fleſh and blood to rebell. / Salan[io]. Out vpon it old carrion, rebels it as theſe yeares.

    2. A dead body

      A dead body; a carcass, a corpse.

      • [T]here is here a perpetual Garriſon of Engliſh, but they are of Engliſh Dogs, vvhich are let out in the night to guard the Ships, and eat the Carrens up and dovvn the Streets, and ſo they are ſhut up again in the Morning.

    3. An animal which is in poor condition or worthless

      An animal which is in poor condition or worthless; also, an animal which is a pest or vermin.

      • [L]ords will by their wils / Rather haue one wodcock, than a thouſand dawſe. / Wodcocks ar meate, daws ar carren, wey this clauſe. / In dede ſir (ſaid the daw) I muſt needes agree, / Lords loue to eate you, and not to eate mee.
      • Let carren and barren, be ſhifted awaie, / for beſt is the beſt, whatſoeuer ye paie.
      • Having ſhevved you the moſt deſireable, uſefull, and beneficiall creatures, vvith the moſt offenſive carrions that belong to our VVilderneſſe, it remaines in the next place, to ſhevv you ſuch kinds of Fovvle as the Countrey affoords: […]

    4. A contemptible or worthless person.

      • And vvhat other Oath, / Then Honeſty to Honeſty ingag'd, / That this ſhall be, or vve vvill fall for it. / Svveare Prieſts and Covvards, and men Cautelous / Old feeble Carrions, and ſuch ſuffering Soules / That vvelcome vvrongs: […]
      • […] Pegg Kite, […] will be, I doubt, a troublesome carrion to us executors; but if she will not be ruled, I shall fling up my executorship.

    5. Pertaining to, or made up of, rotting flesh.

      • This coouie [i.e., covey of harpies] rauenouſe, and ſwift with a deſperat onſet, / They gripte in tallants the meat, and foorth ſpourged a ſtincking / Foule carrayne ſauoure: […]
      • You'l aske me vvhy I rather chooſe to haue / A vveight of carrion fleſh, then to receiue / Three thouſand Ducats?

    6. Disgusting, horrid, rotten.

    7. Of the living human body, the soul, etc.

      Of the living human body, the soul, etc.: fleshly, mortal, sinful.

      • Shees bitter to her country, heare me Paris, / For euery falſe drop in her bavvdy veines, / A Grecians life hath ſunke: for euery ſcruple / Of her contaminated carrion vvaight, / A Troyan hath beene ſlaine.

    8. Very thin

      Very thin; emaciated, skeletonlike.

    9. Of or pertaining to death.

      • O hell! vvhat haue vve heere, a carrion death? / VVithin vvhoſe empty eye there is a vvritten ſcroule, / Ile reade the vvriting.

    10. A surname.

The neighborhood

Derived

carrion beetle, carrion-bird, carrion crow, carrionere, carrion feeder, carrion flower, carrion fly, carrion-hawk, carrionize, carrion-like, carrionly, carrion vulture, crone

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for carrion. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA