Animals
Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Financial, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
Animals
See also birds; bulls and bullfighting; cats; cocks; dogs; fish; horses; insects; reptiles; snakes; wolves; worms; zoology
the condition of having teeth without roots attached to the alveolar ridge of the jaws, as in certain animals. — acrodont, adj.
a parasitic relationship between animals that has a destructive effect on one and no effect on the other. See also biology; plants.
the realm of animals; the animal kingdom.
1. the state of being an animal.
2. animal existence or nature in human activity; the animal in man as opposed to the spiritual.
2. animal existence or nature in human activity; the animal in man as opposed to the spiritual.
an animal with a tongue like that of man, as the parrot.
a creature resembling man, as an ape. — anthropoid, anthropoidal, adj.
the assignment of human feelings or passions to something not human, as a deity or an animal. — anthropopathic. adj.
a hoofed animal having an even number of toes or digits on each foot, as pigs, sheep, deer, etc. — artiodactylous, adj.
1. an advocate of kindness to animals.
2. British. an antivivisectionist.
2. British. an antivivisectionist.
a compiler or writer of bestiaries.
an allegorical or moralizing commentary based upon real or fabled animals, usually medieval and sometimes illustrated.
the study of the physiological processes of plants and animals. — biodynamic, biodynamical, adj.
the branch of ecology that studies the interrelationship of plant and animal life in their common environment. — bioecologist, n. — bioecologic, bioecological, adj.
the study of the relationship between structure and function in plants and animals. — biostatical, adj.
the animal or plant life of a particular region.
a method of movement, characteristic of certain animals, by swinging with the arms from one hold to another.
the branch of zoology that studies crustaceans. — carcinologist, n. — carcinologic, carcinological, adj.
a meat-eating animal. Cf. herbivore. — camivorous, adj.
a relationship between animals or plants in which one lives with or on the other without damage to either. Cf. parasitism.
a vital force in plants or animals, similar to human effort. See also plants.
an intense fear of contact with animal fur or skin. — doraphobe, n.
the study of sea urchins. — echinologist, n.
a nonparasitic relationship between animals in which one animal lives on the surface of the other.
a disease affecting many animals at the same time; an epidemic amongst animals. — epizootic, adj.
the science concerned with the factors involved in the occurrence and spread of animal diseases. — epizootiologic, epizootiological, adj.
the condition of being in rut or sexual arousal, applied particularly to the female. Also spelled estrum, oestrum. — estrous, oestrous, adj.
the study of animal behavior in relation to habitat. — ethologist, n. — ethological, adj.
haruspicy. — extispex, n. — extispicious, Obsolete, adj.
1. the animal life of a particular time or region.
2. a study of or treatise on the animal life of a particular time or region. — faunal, adj.
2. a study of or treatise on the animal life of a particular time or region. — faunal, adj.
a person who studies or writes on animal life; a naturalist.
zoogeography.
haruspicy.
a form of divination by natural phenomena, especially from inspection of the entrails of animal sacrifices. Also called extispicy, haruspication. — haruspex, aruspex, n. — haruspical, adj.
the study of worms, especially internal worms.
a plant-eating animal. Cf. carnivore. — herbivorous, adj.
abnormal development, especially increased size, in plants or animals, usually as a result of cross-breeding.
an animal that inhabits the burrow, nest, or other habitation of another animal. — inquiline, adj.
a particular type of animal life whose absence is a characteristic of a region. — lipotypic, adj.
a disease, chiefly of farm animals, characterized by paralysis and impaired vision and caused by eating locoweed.
a mythical or fabulous beast with the head of a man, the body of a lion or tiger, and the feet and tail of a dragon or scorpion. Also spelled mantichora.
the branch of biology that studies the structure and form of animals and plants. — morphologist, n. — morphologic, morphological, adj.
an abnormal love for mice.
an abnormal fear of mice.
the science of the early or youthful stage of animal development. — nealogic, adj.
any animal or plant.
the scientific description of the organs of plants and animals and of their structure and function. — organographist, n. — organographic, organographical, adj.
the study of the organs of plants and animals. — organologist, n. — organologic, organological, adj.
pl. animals that lay eggs. Cf. ovovivipara, vivipara. — oviparity, n. — oviparous, adj.
pl. animals that lay eggs that are hatched in their bodies, so that young are born alive, without connection to a placenta.
a relationship between animals in which one gains sustenance from the other. Cf. commensalism. See also biology; plants.
a group with genetic relationship. Cf. phylum.
any of the major subdivisions of the plant or animal kingdom. Cf. phylon. See also linguistics.
a place where pigs are kept; pigpen; pigsty.
a carnivorous animal. — predaceous, predacious, adj.
a relation between organisms or animals in which one feeds on the other. — predatory, adj.
a plot of land, square or rectangular, marked off or set out for the study of plant or animal life.
1. rabbits collectively.
2. a place where rabbits live or are kept.
2. a place where rabbits live or are kept.
an animal or plant surviving in one area after becoming extinct else-where; a survival of an earlier period. — relict, adj.
a breeding or nesting place of rooks or of any gregarious bird or animal.
selective breeding to develop strains with particular characteristics. — stirpicultural, adj.
Rare. the business and art of raising swine.
the art of preparing, stuffing, and mounting the skins of animals so that they appear lifelike. — taxidermist, n.
a container for keeping small animals.
a form of divination based upon observation of the movements of animals. Also called zoomancy.
the worship of deities that are partly animal and partly human in form. Also called therianthropism, theriolatry. — theriomorphic, theriomorphous, adj.
the branch of biology that studies the breeding of domestic plants and animals.
a mammal having hoofs, as the cow, horse, etc. — ungulate, adj.
Obsolete. a cow house, shed, pasture, or other place where cows are kept. Also vachery.
a condition of some animals, and especially of some fowls, in which the female, when old, assumes some of the characteristics of the male of the species. — virilescent, adj.
an enclosed environment, as a glass container, in which plants or animals are raised under conditions that approximate their natural habitat. Also vivary.
a vivarium.
pl. animals that bear living young. Cf. ovipara, ovovivipara. — viviparity, n. — viviparous, adj.
1. the killing of a fox by methods other than by hunting it with hounds.
2. the killer of a fox.
2. the killer of a fox.
a derangement in which a person believes himself to be an animal and acts accordingly. — zoanthropic, adj.
the science of veterinary surgery.
zoology.
the distribution of animal life by geographical location. — zoogeographer, n. — zoogeographic, zoogeographical, adj.
1. the generation of animals.
2. a study of animal generation. — zoogonic, zoogenic, adj.
2. a study of animal generation. — zoogonic, zoogenic, adj.
1. the branch of zoology concerned with animal description.
2. pictorial art in general, but especially that which shows animals. — zoographer, n. — zoographic, zoographical, adj.
2. pictorial art in general, but especially that which shows animals. — zoographer, n. — zoographic, zoographical, adj.
the worship of animal gods. Cf. theriomorphism. Also called zootheism. — zoolater, n.
the branch of biology that studies and classifles all living creatures. — zoologist, n. — zoological, adj.
a form of divination based upon the observation of animals or their movements under certain circumstances. Also called theriomancy.
an abnormal love of animals.
the measurement and comparison of the sizes of animals and their parts.
the attribution of animal form or nature, especially to a deity. — zoomorphic, adj.
the laws of animal life or the animal kingdom. — zoonomist, n. — zoonomic, adj.
the study or science of the diseases of animals; animal pathology. Also zoopathy.
zoopathology.
the performing of experiments on animals, especially the lower animals. — zooperal, adj.
a love of animals. — zoophile, n.
love of animals. — zoophilist, n. — zoophilous, adj.
an abnormal dread of animals. — zoophobe, n.
the study of animal physiology and form. — zoophysical, adj.
the physiology of animals, as distinct from that of humans.
an animal, as a sponge, coral, etc, that resembles a plant more than an animal; any of the Zoophyta. — zoophytic, zoophytical, zoophytoid, adj.
the branch of zoology concerned with the zoophytes. — zoophytological, adj.
the process of surgically grafting tissue from a lower animal onto the human body. — zooplastic, adj.
a form of hallucination in which the sufferer imagines he sees animals. Also zooscopy.
a branch of psychology that studies animal behavior.
zoopsia.
zoological classification; the scientific classification of animals.
the principles of animal husbandry. Also spelled zootechnics. — zootechnician, n. — zootechnical, adj.
the worship of animal gods; zoolatry. — zootheist, n.
1. the dissection of animals other than man.
2. the anatomy of animals. — zootomist, n. — zootomic, zootomical, adj.
2. the anatomy of animals. — zootomist, n. — zootomic, zootomical, adj.
-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
Animals
- The cat … carried his tail like a raised sword —Helen Hudson
- The cat was sleeping on the floor like a tipped-over roller skate —Paul Theroux
- Crows … circle in the sky like a flight of blackened leaves —Stephen Vincent Benet
- Dogs … all snarls and teeth like knives —George Garrett
- Dog … with a marking down his breast like a flowing polka-dot tie. He was like a tiny shepherd —Eudora Welty
- Dour as a wet cat —Warren Beck
- Fins [on fish] like scimitars —Richard Maynard
- Frogs sparkling like wet suns —Margaret Atwood
- He [a dog] dragged her around the block like a horse pulling a wheelless carriage —Margaret Millar
- A herd of black and white cows moved slowly across a distant field, like pieces of torn paper adrift on a dark pond —Hilary Masters
- His tail [a cat’s] waved like a pine tree —Sheila Kaye-Smith
- The Llama is a wooly sort of fleecy hairy goat with an indolent expression and an undulating throat. Like an unsuccessful literary man —Hilaire Belloc
- [A cow] lying on her back like a fat old party in a bathtub —Edward Hoagland
- [A cat] purring like a Packard engine. It worked like a lullaby —Harold Adams
- Sheep huddled like fallen clouds —George Garrett
- Silver whiskers … like rice-threads —D. H. Lawrence
The silver whiskers described by Lawrence belong to a fox, from which his story takes its title. - Squirrels … fat as housecats —Doris Lessing
- Swarms of bees like a buzzing cloud flew from flower to flower —Erich Maria Remarque
- A white poodle … like an animated powder puff —Penelope Gilliatt
- Wings of the swans are folded now like the sheets of a long letter —Donald Justice
Similes Dictionary, 1st Edition. © 1988 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.