CANNIBALIZE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does cannibalize mean? 

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

1. eat human flesh

2. use parts of something to repair something else

  Familiarity information: CANNIBALIZE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CANNIBALIZE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they cannibalize    ... he / she / it cannibalizes   
Past simple: cannibalized   
Past participle: cannibalized   
-ing form: cannibalizing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Eat human flesh

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Synonyms:

cannibalise; cannibalize

Hypernyms (to "cannibalize" 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 "cannibalize" 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)

"Cannibalize" entails doing...:

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

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

This discovery validates a long-held theory that white dwarfs are capable of cannibalizing possible remnant planets that have survived within its solar system.

(K2 Finds Dead Star Vaporizing a Mini 'Planet', NASA)