CANNIBALISE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does cannibalise mean? 

• CANNIBALISE (verb)
  The verb CANNIBALISE has 2 senses:

1. eat human flesh

2. use parts of something to repair something else

  Familiarity information: CANNIBALISE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CANNIBALISE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they cannibalise    ... he / she / it cannibalises   
Past simple: cannibalised   
Past participle: cannibalised   
-ing form: cannibalising   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Eat human flesh

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Synonyms:

cannibalise; cannibalize

Hypernyms (to "cannibalise" is one way to...):

consume; have; ingest; take; take in (serve oneself to, or consume regularly)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

cannibal (a person who eats human flesh)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Use parts of something to repair something else

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Synonyms:

cannibalise; cannibalize

Hypernyms (to "cannibalise" is one way to...):

apply; employ; use; utilise; utilize (put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose)

"Cannibalise" entails doing...:

break apart; break up; disassemble; dismantle; take apart (take apart into its constituent pieces)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something