animal

adj

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁mos Proto-Italic *anamos Latin animus Latin anima Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin animālisbor. Middle English animal English animal From Middle English animal, from Latin animālis, from either anima (“breath, spirit”) or animus. Originally distinct from the noun, it became associated with attributive use of the noun and is now indistinguishable from it.

1. Of or relating to animals.

   “animal instincts”

   “The season has been most unfavourable to animal life; and I, who am merely animal, have suffered much by it.”

2. Raw, base, unhindered by social codes.

   “animal passions”

   “But the line also distills pop culture’s big commandment about sex to its animal essence: If you’re not screwing somebody, you’re nobody.”

3. Pertaining to the spirit or soul; relating to sensation or innervation.

   “To explain what activated the flesh, ‘animal spirits’ were posited, superfine fluids which shuttled between the mind and the vitals, conveying messages and motion.”

4. Excellent.

name

1. A nickname given to people, especially wild people.

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *h₂enh₁mos Proto-Italic *anamos Latin animus Latin anima Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin animālis Latin animalder. Old French animalbor. Middle English animal English animal From Middle English animal, from Old French animal, from Latin animal, a nominal use of the adjective form animāle, neuter of animālis, from anima (“breath, spirit”). Displaced native English deer (outside puristic usage) in the general animal sense, from Middle English der, deor (“animal”), from Old English dēor, related to German Tier (“animal”), Dutch dier, Swedish djur etc. Displaced also rother (“horned animal, esp. ox”, now obsolete), from Middle English rother, reother (“a bovine”), from Old English hrīþer, hrȳþer.

1. A multicellular organism of the kingdom Animalia that is usually mobile, with cells that are not encased in a rigid cell wall (distinguishing them from plants and fungi) and derives energy solely from the consumption of other organisms.

   “Near-synonym: critter”

   “Humans, like other animals, need air to breathe and food to eat.”

2. Any member of the kingdom Animalia other than a human.
3. A higher animal; an animal related to humans.

   “When he's hungry my toddler opens his mouth like an animal instead of asking us to feed him.”

4. A higher animal; an animal related to humans.

   “Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame. With more settled people, animals were harnessed to capstans or caged in treadmills to turn grist into meal.”

5. A higher animal; an animal related to humans.
6. A higher animal; an animal related to humans.

   “I spent my summer studying the animals and birds of the two islands.”

   “Birds are as popular as animals in the toy kingdom, especially pigeons, owls and domestic hens.”

7. A person who behaves wildly; a bestial, brutal, brutish, cruel, or inhuman person.

   “My students are animals.”

   “Own me, I'll let you play the role I'll be your animal”

8. A person of a particular type specified by an adjective.

   “He's a political animal.”

9. Matter, thing.

   “a whole different animal”

   “no such animal”