herbivorous

H4E1R1B3I1V4O1R1O1U1S1
US/(h)ɜːɹˈbɪvəɹəs/

adjective

Feeding chiefly on plants.

Similar
anthophagousanthophilousbaccivorouscarpophagousfruit-eatinggrass-eating
Opposite
omnivorousinsectivorouscarnivorous
OriginLatin herba →
UncommonScrabble 19
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Meanings

adjectiveherbivorous (comparative more herbivorous, superlative most herbivorous)

comparative more herbivorous · superlative most herbivorous

  1. Feeding chiefly on plants.

    One example of "an herbivorous fungus" is included among the terrestrial animal experiments

    2002, Ronald H. Karlson, Dynamics of Coral Communities, page 96

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectivefeeding only on plants

Similar
anthophagousanthophilousbaccivorouscarpophagousfruit-eatinggrass-eating
Opposite
omnivorousinsectivorouscarnivorous
Also see
anthophagousanthophilousbaccivorouscarpophagousphytophagousphytophilousplant-eatingsaprophagoussaprophyticsaprozoic

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinherba“grass”
  2. Englishherbivorous

Adapted borrowing of New Latin herbivorus + -ous, from Latin herba (“grass”) and -vorus, from vorō (“to devour”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek χλοηφάγος, βοτανηφάγος
  • χλοηφάγος (khloēphágos)feeding only on plants
  • βοτανηφάγος (botanēphágos)feeding only on plants
Arabic عَاشِب
  • عَاشِب (ʕāšib)feeding only on plants
Bulgarian тревопасен
  • тревопасен (trevopasen)feeding only on plants
Catalan herbívor
  • herbívorfeeding only on plants
Chinese Mandarin 食草的, 植食性的
  • 食草的 (shícǎo de)feeding only on plants
  • 植食性的 (zhíshíxìng de)feeding only on plants
Czech býložravý
  • býložravýfeeding only on plants
Dutch plantenetend
  • plantenetendfeeding only on plants
Esperanto herbovora
  • herbovorafeeding only on plants
Finnish kasvinsyöjä-
  • kasvinsyöjä-feeding only on plants
French herbivore
  • herbivorefeeding only on plants
German pflanzenfressend
  • pflanzenfressendfeeding only on plants
Greek Τρέφεται μόνο με φυτά
  • Τρέφεται μόνο με φυτάfeeding only on plants
Hindi शाकाहारी
  • शाकाहारी (śākāhārī)feeding only on plants
Hungarian növényevő, herbivor
  • növényevőfeeding only on plants
  • herbivorfeeding only on plants
Japanese 草食の
  • 草食の (sōshoku no)feeding only on plants
Korean 초식의
  • 초식의 (chosig-ui)feeding only on plants
Latin herbivorus
  • herbivorusfeeding only on plants
Malay maun
  • maunfeeding only on plants
Norwegian Bokmål planteetende
  • planteetendefeeding only on plants
Polish roślinożerny
  • roślinożernyfeeding only on plants
Portuguese herbívoro
  • herbívorofeeding only on plants
Romanian erbivor
  • erbivorfeeding only on plants
Russian травоя́дный
  • травоя́дный (travojádnyj)feeding only on plants
Scottish Gaelic lus-itheach, feur-itheach
  • lus-itheachfeeding only on plants
  • feur-itheachfeeding only on plants
Slovak bylinožravý
  • bylinožravýfeeding only on plants
Spanish herbívoro
  • herbívorofeeding only on plants
Tagalog halmankainin
  • halmankaininfeeding only on plants
Turkish otçul, otobur
  • otçulfeeding only on plants
  • otoburfeeding only on plants
Ukrainian травої́дний
  • травої́дний (travojídnyj)feeding only on plants
Welsh llysysol
  • llysysolfeeding only on plants

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with herbivorous

carnivorousomnivorousinsectivorouspiscivorousalgivorousamphivorousaphidivorousaurivorousbaccivorouscanivorousdetritivorousequivorousfructivorousfrugivorousfucivorousfungivorousgraminivorousgranivoroushominivorouslarvivorouslichenivorouslignivorousnectarivorousoryzivorous
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

herbivorous. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/herbivorous

MLA

“herbivorous.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/herbivorous. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “herbivorous,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/herbivorous.

Source: herbivorous on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.