English Dictionary

Define dictionary terms easily in our powerful online English dictionary.

Searching for...

No matching words found

Try a different search term or browse the dictionary

Definition animal in British English

animal noun

[countable] noun
/ˈænɪm(ə)l/
1

any living thing that can move independently and that has senses for recognizing and reacting to the environment around it. Animals are divided into two groups, vertebrates and invertebrates

Example

Amphibious animals such as frogs and toads live mainly on land, but develop into adults in water.

Synonyms and related words
1.1

any living thing that is not a human, a plant, an insect, a bird, or a fish

Example

lions, tigers, and other wild animals

Example

He is accused of cruelty to animals.

Synonyms and related words
Example

Man is the only animal that uses language.

Synonyms and related words
2

someone who behaves in a very violent, cruel, or rude way

Example

That man is an animal!

Synonyms and related words
3

used when you are talking about the particular type of person someone is, for example what they enjoy doing

Example

I know how to deal with James, but Michael is a different animal.

Example

a political/social animal

Synonyms and related words
Definition animal in British English