animal
English
Pronunciation
- (UK, US) enPR: ăn'ĭməl, IPA(key): /ˈænɪməl/
Audio (US) (file)
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Etymology 1
From Middle English animal, from Old French animal, from Latin animal, a nominal use of an adjective from animale, neuter of animālis, from anima (“breath, spirit”). Displaced native Middle English deor, der (“animal”) (from Old English dēor (“animal”)), Middle English reother (“animal, neat”) (from Old English hrīþer, hrȳþer (“neat, ox”)).
Noun
animal (plural animals)
- (sciences) A eukaryote of the clade Animalia; a multicellular organism that is usually mobile, whose cells are not encased in a rigid cell wall (distinguishing it from plants and fungi) and which derives energy solely from the consumption of other organisms (distinguishing it from plants).
- A cat is an animal, not a plant. Humans are also animals, under the scientific definition, as we are not plants.
- Synonyms: beast, creature
- 1650, Thomas Browne, “Of the Cameleon”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], OCLC 152706203, 3rd book, page 133:
- It cannot be denied it [the chameleon] is (if not the moſt of any) a very abſtemious animall, and ſuch as by reaſon of its frigidity, paucity of bloud, and latitancy in the winter (about which time the obſervations are often made) will long ſubſist without a viſible ſuſtentation.
- (loosely) Any member of the kingdom Animalia other than a human.
- Synonym: beast
- (loosely, colloquial) Any land-living vertebrate (i.e. not fishes, insects, etc.).
- 2013 July-August, Henry Petroski, “Geothermal Energy”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4:
- Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame. With more settled people, animals were harnessed to capstans or caged in treadmills to turn grist into meal.
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- (figuratively) A person who behaves wildly; a bestial, brutal, brutish, cruel, or inhuman person.
- My students are animals.
- 2019, Finneas O'Connell and Billie Eilish O'Connell (lyrics), “Bad Guy”, performed by Billie Eilish:
- Own me, I'll let you play the role
I'll be your animal
- Synonyms: brute, monster, savage
- (informal) A person of a particular type.
- He's a political animal.
- Matter, thing.
- a whole different animal
Hyponyms
- See also Thesaurus:animal
Derived terms
- animalist
Related terms
- anima
- Animalia
- animalier
- animate
- animus
Translations
Etymology 2
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.
Adjective
animal (not comparable)
- Of or relating to animals.
- animal instincts
- Synonyms: beastly, bestial
- Raw, base, unhindered by social codes.
- animal passions
- Synonyms: animalistic, beastly, bestial, untamed, wild
- Pertaining to the spirit or soul; relating to sensation or innervation.
- 2003, Roy Porter, Flesh in the Age of Reason (Penguin 2004), page 47:
- To explain what activated the flesh, ‘animal spirits’ were posited, superfine fluids which shuttled between the mind and the vitals, conveying messages and motion.
- 2003, Roy Porter, Flesh in the Age of Reason (Penguin 2004), page 47:
- (slang, Ireland) Excellent
Derived terms
- animal feed
- animalistic
- animal liberation
- animal magnetism
- animal rights
- manimal
- party animal
- political animal
- power animal
- anipal
- spirit animal
- advice animal
- animal activist
- animal charcoal
- animal cracker
- animal dentistry
- animal experimentation
- animal fat
- animal flower
- animal fries
- animal heat
- animal husbandry
- animal kingdom
- animal pole
- animal product
- animal registry
- animal science
- animal shelter
- animal spirits
- animal tester
- animal testing
- animal welfare
- animal welfarist
- animal-like
- assistance animal
- balloon animal
- companion animal
- compound animal
- draft animal
- draught animal
- emotional support animal
- farm animal
- funny animal
- go the entire animal
- moss animal
- pack animal
- plant-animal
- plush animal
- rare animal
- scape-animal
- service animal
- stuffed animal
- therapy animal
- wheel animal
- wild animal
- working animal
Translations
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See also
- Wiktionary appendix of terms relating to animals
Further reading
- animal at OneLook Dictionary Search
- animal in Keywords for Today: A 21st Century Vocabulary, edited by The Keywords Project, Colin MacCabe, Holly Yanacek, 2018.
- animal in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911
- animal in Britannica Dictionary
- animal in Ozdic collocation dictionary
- animal in WordReference English Collocations
Anagrams
- Alamin, Almain, Malian, Manila, Milana, al-Amin, almain, aminal, lamina, maalin, manila
Asturian
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin animal.
Adjective
animal (epicene, plural animales)
- animal
Noun
animal m (plural animales)
- animal
Catalan
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin animal.
Pronunciation
- (Balearic, Central) IPA(key): /ə.niˈmal/
- (Valencian) IPA(key): /a.niˈmal/
Audio (Valencian) (file) - Rhymes: -al
Adjective
animal (masculine and feminine plural animals)
- animal
Noun
animal m (plural animals)
- animal
Derived terms
- animalada
- animalitzar (“to animalize”)
Further reading
- “animal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “animal”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
- “animal” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “animal” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
Cebuano
Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish animal, from Latin animal, a nominal use of an adjective from animale, neuter of animālis, from anima (“breath, spirit”).
Pronunciation
- Hyphenation: a‧ni‧mal
- IPA(key): /ʔaniˈmal/, [ʔʌ.n̪ɪˈmal̪]
Noun
animál
- animal
- (derogatory) a contemptible person
- (sometimes humurous), a crazy person
Adjective
animál
- (sometimes humorous), crazy
- contemptible, deserving contempt
- ruthless; without pity or compassion; cruel, pitiless
Interjection
animál
- (vulgar) used as an expression of disgust, anger, etc.
French
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin animal. Compare the archaic inherited doublet aumaille and its variant armaille, both from the Latin neuter plural animālia.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /a.ni.mal/
(un animal) (file) Audio (file) - Homophones: animale, animales
Noun
animal m (plural animaux)
- animal
- Synonyms: bête, bestiole
Derived terms
- animal de compagnie
- animal domestique
- animalerie
- droits des animaux
- règne animal
- reine des animaux
- roi des animaux
Adjective
animal (feminine animale, masculine plural animaux, feminine plural animales)
- animal
- Synonym: bestial
- Antonym: végétal
Further reading
- “animal”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Anagrams
- lamina
Galician
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin animal.
Adjective
animal m or f (plural animais)
- animal
Noun
animal m (plural animais)
- animal
Haitian Creole
Etymology
From French animal, from Latin animal.
Noun
animal
- animal
- Synonym: zannimo
Ilocano
Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish animal.
Pronunciation
- Hyphenation: a‧ni‧mal
- IPA(key): /ʔaniˈmal/, [ʔɐ.niˈmal]
Noun
animál
- animal
- Synonym: ayup
Interlingua
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /a.niˈmal/
Noun
animal (plural animales)
- animal
Kabuverdianu
Etymology
From Portuguese animal.
Noun
animal
- beast
- animal
Latin
Etymology
From animāle, nominative neuter singular of animālis.
Pronunciation
- (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈa.ni.mal/, [ˈänɪmäɫ̪]
- (Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /ˈa.ni.mal/, [ˈäːnimäl]
Noun
animal n (genitive animālis); third declension
- animal
- living creature
Declension
Third-declension noun (neuter, “pure” i-stem).
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nominative | animal | animālia |
Genitive | animālis | animālium |
Dative | animālī | animālibus |
Accusative | animal | animālia |
Ablative | animālī | animālibus |
Vocative | animal | animālia |
Synonyms
- bestia
Related terms
- anima
- animō
- animus
Descendants
- Aromanian: nãmalj, nãmaljiu
- Corsican: animale
- Dalmatian: animuol, animul
- Franco-Provençal: armalye
- Old French: almaille
- Middle French: almaille
- French: aumaille, armaille
- Middle French: almaille
- Friulian: nemâl
- Italian: animale
- → Maltese: annimal
- Old Portuguese: almallo
- Galician: almallo
- Portuguese: almalho, alimanha, alimária
- Romagnol: animêl
- Romanian: nămaie
- Sicilian: armali, armalu
- Spanish: alimaña, almaje
- Tarantino: anemale
- Venetian: animal, anemal
Borrowings:
- → Aragonese: animal
- → Asturian: animal
- → Basque: animalia
- → Breton: aneval
- → Catalan: animal
- → Franco-Provençal: animal
- → Friulian: animâl
- → Galician: animal
- → Ido: animalo (also from various others)
- → Interlingua: animal
- → Novial: animale
- → Occitan: animal
- → Old French: animal
- Middle French: animal
- French: animal
- Haitian Creole: animal
- → Romanian: animal
- French: animal
- → Middle English: animal, animale
- English: animal
- → Cebuano: animal
- → Esperanto: animalo (also from French)
- → Tok Pisin: animal
- Scots: ainimal
- English: animal
- Norman: animâ (France), annima (Jersey)
- Middle French: animal
- → Portuguese: animal
- Kabuverdianu: animal
- Papiamentu: animal
- → Romansch: animal
- → Spanish: animal
- → Welsh: anifail
References
- “animal”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “animal”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- animal in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
- animal in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette
- Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
- animate and inanimate nature: animata (animalia) inanimaque (not inanimata)
- domestic animals: animalia quae nobiscum degunt (Plin. 8. 40)
- animate and inanimate nature: animata (animalia) inanimaque (not inanimata)
Middle English
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /aniˈmaːl/, /aˈnimal/
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Old French animal, from Latin animal.
Alternative forms
- animale
Noun
animal (plural animales)
- An animal (considered to include humans)
Descendants
- English: animal
- Scots: ainimal
References
- “animāl, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-01-16.
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Latin animālis.
Alternative forms
- animale, animall, anymal, anymall
Adjective
animal
- Related to the soul or spirit of a living being (i.e. sentience or sapience)
Descendants
- English: animal
References
- “animāl, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-01-16.
Middle French
Noun
animal m (plural animaux or animaulx)
- animal
- Synonym: beste
Papiamentu
Etymology
From Portuguese animal and Spanish animal.
Noun
animal
- beast
- animal
Portuguese
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin animal. Doublet of alimária.
Pronunciation
- (Brazil) IPA(key): /a.niˈmaw/ [a.niˈmaʊ̯]
- (Portugal) IPA(key): /ɐ.niˈmal/ [ɐ.niˈmaɫ]
- Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
- Hyphenation: a‧ni‧mal
Adjective
animal m or f (plural animais, comparable, comparative maisanimal, superlative o maisanimal or animalíssimo)
- (biology) animal (relating to animals)
- 2000, Julio S. Inglez de Sousa et al., Enciclopédia agrícola brasileira: E-H, Editora da Universidade de São Paulo, page 225:
- Em anatomia animal o termo é de uso muito comum, […]
- The term is very commonly used in animal anatomy, […]
- 2000, Julio S. Inglez de Sousa et al., Enciclopédia agrícola brasileira: E-H, Editora da Universidade de São Paulo, page 225:
- (derogatory, of a person) brute (senseless, unreasoning)
- (Brazil, colloquial) cool; awesome
- 2015, Juliana Rosenthal K., Save the Day, Buqui, page 52:
- É, tava animal mesmo — Bia mal consegue falar.
- Yeah, it really was wild — Bia can barely speak.
- 2015, Juliana Rosenthal K., Save the Day, Buqui, page 52:
Quotations
For quotations using this term, see Citations:animal.
Noun
animal m (plural animais)
- (biology) animal (any member of the kingdom Animalia)
- 2020, Petrônio Braz, Léxico dos Gerais, Chiado Books, page 481:
- Primatas — Animais mamíferos, da ordem Primata, que compreende os macacos, antropóides e o homem.
- Primates — Mammalian animals, of the order Primata, which comprises monkeys/apes, anthropoids and man.
- 2020, Petrônio Braz, Léxico dos Gerais, Chiado Books, page 481:
- (non-scientific usage) animal (an animal other than a human, especially a vertebrate)
- Daniela Ikawa, Valor humano intrínseco e redistribuição social in 2007, Flávia Piovesan, Daniela Ikawa, Direitos Humanos: Fundamento, Proteção e Implementação, volume 2, Juruá Editora, page 44:
- Separar os dois grupos — humanos e animais requereria, dentro dos limites da teoria relativa à dor e ao sofrimento, […]
- Separating the twe groups — humans and animals would require, within the limits of the theory relating to pain and suffering, […]
- Synonyms: besta, bicho
- Daniela Ikawa, Valor humano intrínseco e redistribuição social in 2007, Flávia Piovesan, Daniela Ikawa, Direitos Humanos: Fundamento, Proteção e Implementação, volume 2, Juruá Editora, page 44:
- (colloquial) twat; idiot; moron
- 1979, Wilson Bacelar de Oliveira, Os meus fantasmas, Editora Comunicação, page 490:
- Escute aqui, seu animal, então você brigou com o companheiro?
- Listen up, you dumbass, so you fought with [your] mate?
- Synonyms: idiota, retardado, burro, imbecil, débil mental, besta
- 1979, Wilson Bacelar de Oliveira, Os meus fantasmas, Editora Comunicação, page 490:
- (colloquial) beast (a cruel person)
- 2007, Creso Balduíno, O verso do ser, Editora Revan, page 170:
- Josuel é um animal repulsivo, uma besta humana.
- Josuel is a repulsive beast, a human beast.
- Synonym: monstro
- 2007, Creso Balduíno, O verso do ser, Editora Revan, page 170:
Quotations
For quotations using this term, see Citations:animal.
Derived terms
- animal de estimação
- animalizar
- animalzão (augmentative)
- animalzinho (diminutive)
Romanian
Etymology
Borrowed from French animal, from Latin animal. Doublet of nămaie.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /a.niˈmal/
Adjective
animal m or n (feminine singular animală, masculine plural animali, feminine and neuter plural animale)
- animal, animalistic
- brutal
Declension
singular | plural | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
masculine | neuter | feminine | masculine | neuter | feminine | ||
nominative/ accusative | indefinite | animal | animală | animali | animale | ||
definite | animalul | animala | animalii | animalele | |||
genitive/ dative | indefinite | animal | animale | animali | animale | ||
definite | animalului | animalei | animalilor | animalelor |
Adverb
animal
- brutally
Noun
animal n (plural animale)
- animal
Declension
singular | plural | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
indefinite articulation | definite articulation | indefinite articulation | definite articulation | |
nominative/accusative | (un) animal | animalul | (niște) animale | animalele |
genitive/dative | (unui) animal | animalului | (unor) animale | animalelor |
vocative | animalule | animalelor |
Romansch
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin animal.
Noun
animal m (plural animals)
- (Rumantsch Grischun, Sursilvan, Sutsilvan, Surmiran, Vallader) animal
Synonyms
- (Rumantsch Grischun, Sursilvan, Surmiran) biestg
- (Rumantsch Grischun, Sutsilvan) bestga
- (Sursilvan) tier, bestia
- (Puter, Vallader) bes-cha
Spanish
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin animal. See also alimaña, an inherited doublet.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /aniˈmal/ [a.niˈmal]
Audio (Spain) (file) - Rhymes: -al
- Syllabification: a‧ni‧mal
Adjective
animal (plural animales)
- animal
Noun
animal m (plural animales)
- animal
Derived terms
- animalada
- animal de carga
- animal de compañía
- animal doméstico
- animalero
- animalesco
- animalillo
- animalismo
- animalista
- animalístico
- animalito
- animalizar
- animalmente
- animal salvaje
- animal terrestre
- animalucho
- protectora de animales
Related terms
- animálculo
- animalidad
Further reading
- “animal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
Anagrams
- lámina
- lamina
Tagalog
Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish animal.
Pronunciation
- Hyphenation: a‧ni‧mal
- IPA(key): /ʔaniˈmal/, [ʔɐ.nɪˈmal]
Noun
animál
- beast; brute; creature
- Synonyms: halimaw, hayop
- (derogatory) brutish person; inhuman person
- Synonyms: hayop, bruto, bestiya
Derived terms
- kaanimalan
- pagkaanimal
Tok Pisin
Etymology
From English animal.
Noun
animal
- animal (members of Kingdom Animalia that are not humans)
- 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Port Moresby: Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, Jenesis 1:25:
- God i kamapim ol kain kain animal bilong ples na ol bikpela na liklik animal bilong bus. God i lukim olgeta dispela samting i gutpela, na em i amamas.
- →New International Version translation
- Synonym: abus
-