graminivorous
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Latin graminivorus, from gramen (“grass”) + -vorus.
Pronunciation[edit]
Adjective[edit]
graminivorous (comparative more graminivorous, superlative most graminivorous)
- (entomology) That eats grasses and seeds.
- 1854, Charles Dickens, “(please specify the chapter name)”, in Hard Times. For These Times, London: Bradbury & Evans, […], →OCLC:
- “Bitzer,” said Thomas Gradgrind. “Your definition of a horse.” / “Quadruped. Graminivorous. Forty teeth; namely, twenty-four grinders, four eye-teeth, and twelve incisive. Sheds coat in the Spring; in marshy countries, sheds hoofs, too. Hoofs hard, but requiring to be shod with iron. Age known by marks in mouth.” Thus (and much more) Bitzer.
- 1906, Ambrose Bierce, “Abdomen”, in The Cynic’s Word Book, London: Arthur F. Bird […], →OCLC, page 4:
- If woman had a free hand in the world's marketing the race would become graminivorous.
Usage notes[edit]
- Although the term was formerly more widely used (for example, of grazing animals), it is now restricted to insects as most grazing animals are better termed herbivorous.
Translations[edit]
that eats grasses and seeds
|
Categories:
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʰreh₁-
- English terms derived from Latin
- English 5-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- en:Entomology
- English terms with quotations
- en:Grasses