cannibalishadj.
/ˈkanᵻbəlɪʃ/, U.S. /ˈkænəbəlɪʃ/ Relating to or suggestive of cannibalism; (also) predisposed to cannibalism.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > harmfulness > bloodthirstiness > [adjective]
bloodyeOE
bloodlyc1425
bloodthirsty1539
bloody-minded?1545
cannibal1555
blood-thirsting?1569
sanguinolent1577
blood-drinking1594
cannibalian1602
sword-minded1603
sanguisugous1615
sanguinary1623
sanguinarian1637
sanguinarious1654
sanguinous1663
sanguine1705
cannibalic?1795
cannibalish1796
cannibalistic1827
the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > fierceness > bloodthirstiness > [adjective]
bloodyeOE
bloodthirsty1539
bloody-minded?1545
cannibal1555
blood-thirsting?1569
bloodly1574
sanguinolent1577
blood-drinking1594
cannibalian1602
sword-minded1603
sanguisugous1615
sanguinary1623
sanguinarian1637
sanguinarious1654
sanguinous1663
sanguine1705
cannibalic?1795
cannibalish1796
cannibalistic1827
faggoty-minded1856
1796 G. D. Harley Poems 157 Off thy own kit, in canniballish spleen, Thou hast not scrupled hunger to appease.
1837 New Monthly Mag. 49 522 It is rather a cannibalish proceeding.
1899 Baily's Mag. Sept. 204/2 These monsters are probably but overgrown trout, which have taken to cannibalish ways..and are now huge, ugly, piratical brutes.
1929 L. M. Montgomery Magic for Marigold xi. 158 Lazarre added that she ‘lived on’ her relations; by which cannibalish statement he meant that Aunt Josephine was fonder of visiting round than of staying home.
2012 Lancs. Evening Post (Nexis) 29 May Baskets, their myriad nooks and crannies snaring patches and pockets of secret recipe batter, morsels in great demand among the cannibalish urban pigeon crowd.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2018; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.1796