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.
Examples of herbivorous in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
From small and relatively meek beginnings, proboscideans eventually evolved into herbivorous, elephantine giants with a broad array of different tusk arrangements and shapes.
—
Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
From the herbivorous Lystrosaurus (not a dinosaur), which looked something like a walrus with legs and a shovel face, to the carnivorous chroniosuchians that resembled giant lizards and fed on insects and small amphibians, the refugium in what is now Xinjiang kept life going.
—Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 18 Mar. 2025
Their omnivorous or herbivorous lifestyle, the study said, is also present in their teeth, called heterodonty.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2025
Footprints were left by herbivorous dinosaurs A surveyor found the slab containing the most footprints in 2002, the researchers wrote in the paper.
—Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for herbivorous
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
From the herbivorous Lystrosaurus (not a dinosaur), which looked something like a walrus with legs and a shovel face, to the carnivorous chroniosuchians that resembled giant lizards and fed on insects and small amphibians, the refugium in what is now Xinjiang kept life going.
—Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 18 Mar. 2025
Their omnivorous or herbivorous lifestyle, the study said, is also present in their teeth, called heterodonty.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2025
Footprints were left by herbivorous dinosaurs A surveyor found the slab containing the most footprints in 2002, the researchers wrote in the paper.
—Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for herbivorous
Cite this Entry
“Herbivorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/herbivorous. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
herbivorous
adjective
her·biv·o·rous
ˌ(h)ər-ˈbiv-ə-rəs 
: eating or living 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
herbivorously
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share