# carcass

/ˈkɑɹkəs/ (US) · /kˈɑːkəs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/carcass
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. dead animal body

noun · CEFR B2

the body of a dead animal, especially one that has been hunted or killed for food.

For teachers: the dead body of an animal, particularly a vertebrate; often refers to a slaughtered animal prepared for butchery.

- Vultures circled high in the sky above the carcass of the zebra.
- The butcher hung the beef carcass in the cold room to age before processing it into smaller cuts for the market.

### 2. internal framework

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the main frame or skeleton of a building, piece of furniture, or a tyre.

For teachers: the structural framework or internal skeleton of an object, such as a cabinet, a building, or the casing of a vehicle tyre.

- The workers finished the steel carcass of the new office tower today.
- The cabinet maker constructed a sturdy oak carcass before applying the decorative mahogany veneers to the exterior surfaces.

### 3. a person's body

noun · CEFR C1 · Humorous · Informal

a person's physical body, often used when someone is tired or moving slowly.

For teachers: a person's physical body; typically used in a self-deprecating or humorous manner to imply exhaustion or physical presence.

- I finally dragged my weary carcass out of bed at noon.
- After the marathon, he sat on the curb, wondering if he had the strength to move his aching carcass another inch toward the car.

### 4. incendiary weapon

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Technical

an old type of hollow iron ball filled with chemicals that was fired at ships to start fires.

For teachers: a historical incendiary projectile consisting of an iron shell filled with combustible materials, designed to burn intensely upon impact.

- The old ship was set ablaze by a carcass fired from the fort.
- Naval records from the eighteenth century describe the devastating effect of a carcass landing on a wooden deck, as the chemical fire was nearly impossible to extinguish.

## Examples

- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.