Synonyms of carcass
1
: a dead body : corpse
especially : the dressed body of a meat animal
Butchers trimmed the meat from the carcass.
2
: the living, material, or physical body
It was nearly noon when he finally hauled his carcass out of bed.
3
: the decaying or worthless remains of a structure
the carcass of an abandoned automobile
4
: the underlying structure or frame of something (as of a piece of furniture)

Examples of carcass in a Sentence

the rusting carcass of an old truck the carcass of a squirrel that had been run over
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Broken pieces of a golden temple were seen jutting out from the sand, while the carcass of a dead buffalo littered the area. ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026 One of dogs was fatally shot by a Mecklenburg County sheriff’s deputy, and its carcass will be submitted for a necropsy and rabies testing, officials said. Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 27 Aug. 2026 The practice of cutting fins off live sharks and throwing the carcasses back into the sea is banned in much of the Pacific Ocean, but persists due to demand in East and Southeast Asia. CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 The $4 billion white steel, glass, and marble design by the Spanish Swiss architect Santiago Calatrava — alternately compared to a cathedral and a whale carcass — looks and feels like nothing else on the planet, much less a mall. Anne Kadet, Curbed, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for carcass

Word History

Etymology

Middle English carcays, from Anglo-French carcas, carkeis

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of carcass was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Carcass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carcass. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

: a dead body
especially : the body of a meat animal prepared for market

Medical Definition

: a dead body : corpse
especially : the dressed body of a meat animal
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