carcass
n. countablen. the dead body of an animal, especially one that is large or has been hunted for food. It can also describe the empty frame of a building or vehicle.
n. the dead body of an animal, particularly one slaughtered for food or a large mammal; by extension, the structural remains of a derelict object. Often used in a figurative sense to describe the skeletal framework of a ship or building.
The vultures circled the carcass in the desert.
After the fire, the charred carcass of the old warehouse stood as a grim reminder of the accident.
The hunters left the carcass of the deer deep in the woods, taking only what they could carry back to the camp before nightfall.
Dated from the late 13th Century C.E.; from Anglo-Norman carcois, possibly related to Old French charcois. Cognate with French carcasse. But cf. also Avestan 𐬐𐬀𐬵𐬭𐬐𐬁𐬯𐬀 (kahrkās, “vulture”), and Middle Persian [Book Pahlavi needed] (klkʾs /kargās/, “vulture”), whence Persian کرکس (karkas, “vulture”).
Commonly used in biological, culinary, or forensic contexts; can be used insultingly or humorously to refer to a human body.