herbivorous
adjective
her·biv·o·rous ˌ(h)ər-ˈbiv-rəs 
-ˈbi-və-
: feeding on plants
herbivory
ˌ(h)ər-ˈbi-və-rē
noun 
Did you know?
Many herbivorous animals, such as rabbits, deer, sheep, and cows, are noted for their gentle and passive ways. But such behavior is not universal among herbivores. Rhinoceroses and elephants, for instance, are capable of inflicting serious damage if threatened, and among dinosaurs, the herbivorous Diplodocus had a thick tail that could be used as a lethal weapon against attacking carnivores. Herbivorous humans are usually called vegetarians.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Sauropods, iconic herbivorous dinosaurs known for their long necks and tails, lived from 160 to 100 million years ago. 
Paul Best, Fox News, 26 Aug. 2022 Sauropods were four-legged, herbivorous dinosaurs, such as the brachiosaurus, according to the University of California Museum of Paleontology. Mitchell Willetts The Charlotte Observer (tns), al, 24 Aug. 2022 The herbivorous species had long necks and tails and thick leg and were some of the largest dinosaurs to ever exist. Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY, 4 Jan. 2022 The team found a large carnivorous dinosaur with four long-necked, herbivorous dinosaurs nearby Canale says, all in the same rock layer. Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 July 2022 Part of the answer, researchers report in the journal Palaeontology, rests in what herbivorous dinosaurs were munching on. Riley Black, Scientific American, 21 June 2022 When Happy the elephant arrived at the Bronx Zoo in 1977, the herbivorous mammal was placed inside a fenced area separating her from the zoo’s other elephant. Andrea Salcedo, Washington Post, 14 June 2022 The armored dinosaur's closest relatives are the herbivorous Scelidosaurus and the Emausaurus -- both of which originated in Europe during the Jurassic period, Barrett said. Megan Marples, CNN, 17 Mar. 2022 The ancient fossil belongs to a stegosaur, an herbivorous dinosaur with a tiny head and bony plates marching down its back, ending in a spiked tail. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 3 Mar. 2022 See More
Paul Best, Fox News, 26 Aug. 2022 Sauropods were four-legged, herbivorous dinosaurs, such as the brachiosaurus, according to the University of California Museum of Paleontology. Mitchell Willetts The Charlotte Observer (tns), al, 24 Aug. 2022 The herbivorous species had long necks and tails and thick leg and were some of the largest dinosaurs to ever exist. Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY, 4 Jan. 2022 The team found a large carnivorous dinosaur with four long-necked, herbivorous dinosaurs nearby Canale says, all in the same rock layer. Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 July 2022 Part of the answer, researchers report in the journal Palaeontology, rests in what herbivorous dinosaurs were munching on. Riley Black, Scientific American, 21 June 2022 When Happy the elephant arrived at the Bronx Zoo in 1977, the herbivorous mammal was placed inside a fenced area separating her from the zoo’s other elephant. Andrea Salcedo, Washington Post, 14 June 2022 The armored dinosaur's closest relatives are the herbivorous Scelidosaurus and the Emausaurus -- both of which originated in Europe during the Jurassic period, Barrett said. Megan Marples, CNN, 17 Mar. 2022 The ancient fossil belongs to a stegosaur, an herbivorous dinosaur with a tiny head and bony plates marching down its back, ending in a spiked tail. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 3 Mar. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
New Latin herbivorus, from Latin herba grass + -vorus -vorous
First Known Use
1661, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
herbivorous
adjective
her·biv·o·rous ˌhər-ˈbi-və-rəs
ˌər-ˈbi-
: feeding on plants
Medical Definition
herbivorous
adjective
her·biv·o·rous ˌ(h)ər-ˈbiv-ə-rəs
1
: feeding on plants
herbivorous mammals
2
: having a stout body and a long small intestine : endomorphic
herbivorous
adjective
as in vegetarian
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- vegetarian
- tame
- submissive
- gentle
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- predatory
- carnivorous
- rapacious
- predaceous
- predacious
- raptorial
- aggressive
- violent
- savage
- deadly
- ferocious
- fierce
- kinesis
- kinest
- kinestheses
- kinesthesia
- kinesthesias
- kinesthesis
- kinesthetic
- kinesthetically
- kinesthetics
- kinet-
- kinetheodolites
- kinetic
- kinetic art
- kinetic artist
- kinetic energy
- kinetic friction
- kinetic hormone
- kinetic potential
- kinetic theory
- kinetically
- kineticism
- kineticist
- kineticists
- kinetics
- kinetin