carrion
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈkæ.ɹɪ.ən/
ipa: /ˈkɛ.ɹi.ən/
ipa: /ˈkæɹ.ən/
Forms: form: more carrion
form: most carrion
Etymology: The noun is derived from Middle English careine, caroigne (“dead body, corpse; animal carcass; reanimated corpse; gangrenous or rotting body or flesh; mortal nature; (derogatory) living body; (figurative) disgusting or worthless thing”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman careine, caroigne, charogne, and Old French charoigne, Northern Old French caˈronië, caroine, caroigne (modern French charogne), probably from Vulgar Latin *carōnia, from Latin caro (“flesh”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cut off, sever; to divide, separate”)) + -ia (suffix forming nouns). Doublet of crone.
The regular modern English form would be *carren, *carron /ˈkæɹən/ (this is found dialectally; see similar kyarn); the intervening /i/ is probably a hypercorrection based on the analogy of words like merlin/merlion.
The adjective is derived from the noun.
Senses: examples: text: Theſe glotõs daily kil thẽſelf their own handes, ⁊ no man findeth fault, but carieth his cariẽ corſe into yͤ quere, and wͭ much ſolẽne ſeruice, burieth yͤ body boldly at the hie alter, whẽ thei haue at their life (as thapoſtle ſaith) made theyr belly their god, ⁊ liked to know none other: […]
ref: c. 1522 (date written), Thomas More, “A Treatyce (Vnfynyshed) vppon These Wordes of Holye Scrypture, Memorare Nouissima, & Ineternum non Peccabis, Remember the Last Thynges, and Thou shalt Neuer Synne. […]. Of Glotony.”, in Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], editor, The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published 30 April 1557, →OCLC, column 101:
english: These gluttons daily kill themselves [with] their own hands, and no man finds fault, but carries his carrion [indicated as carien] corse into the choir [of the church], and with much solemn service, buries the body boldly at the high altar, when they have at their life (as the apostle says) made their belly their god, and liked to know none other: […]
translation: These gluttons daily kill themselves [with] their own hands, and no man finds fault, but carries his carrion [indicated as carien] corse into the choir [of the church], and with much solemn service, buries the body boldly at the high altar, when they have at their life (as the apostle says) made their belly their god, and liked to know none other: […]
bold_translation_offsets: 101
108
text: This coouie [i.e., covey of harpies] rauenouſe, and ſwift with a deſperat onſet, / They gripte in tallants the meat, and foorth ſpourged a ſtincking / Foule carrayne ſauoure: […]
ref: 1582, Virgil, “The Third Booke of Virgil His Aeneis”, in Richard Stanyhurst, transl., The First Foure Bookes of Virgils Æneis, […], London: […] Henrie Bynneman […], published 1583, →OCLC; republished as The First Four Books of the Æneid of Virgil, […], Edinburgh: [Edinburgh Printing Company], 1836, →OCLC, page 71:
text: You'l aske me vvhy I rather chooſe to haue / A vveight of carrion fleſh, then to receiue / Three thouſand Ducats?
ref: c. 1596–1598 (date written), W[illiam] Shakespeare, The Excellent History of the Merchant of Venice. […] (First Quarto), [London]: […] J[ames] Roberts [for Thomas Heyes], published 1600, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], signatures [G4], verso – H, recto:
glosses: Pertaining to, or made up of, rotting flesh.
examples: text: [T]he baseness, the foul, the stinking, the carrion baseness, of the fellows that call themselves "country gentlemen," is, […] that, while they are thus bold with regard to the working and poor people, they never even whisper a word against pensioners, placemen, soldiers, parsons, fundholders, tax-gatherers, or tax-eaters! They say not a word against the prolific dead-weight, to whom they GIVE A PREMIUM FOR BREEDING, while they want to check the population of labourers!
ref: 1826 September 16, “Rural Ride, down the Valley of the Avon, in Wiltshire”, in William Cobbett, editor, Cobbett’s Weekly Register, volume LIX, number 12, London: […] W[illiam] Cobbett, […], →OCLC, column 742:
text: 'But as for you, ye carrion rogues,' turning to the three men in the rigging—'for you, I mean to mince ye up for the try-pots;' and, seizing a rope, he applied it with all his might to the backs of the two traitors, till they yelled no more, but lifelessly hung their heads sideways, as the two crucified thieves are drawn.
ref: 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “The Town-Ho’s Story”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, pages 284–285:
synonyms: word: vile
word: abject
word: base
word: beggarly
word: blameworthy
word: carrion
word: cheap
word: contemptible
word: cringing
word: dedecorous
word: degraded
word: deridable
word: derisible
word: despicable
word: despisable
word: dirty
word: discreditable
word: disdainable
word: disgraceful
word: dishonorable
word: disreputable
word: execrable
word: groveling
word: ignoble
word: ignominious
word: inglorious
word: lame
word: laughable
word: loathsome
word: ludicrous
word: low
word: mean
word: mean-spirited
word: miserable
word: obscene
word: outrageous
word: pitiable
word: pitiful
word: plebeian
word: paltry
word: putrid
word: reprehensible
word: reptile
word: reptilian
word: reptitious
word: ridiculous
word: risible
word: roynish
word: scald
word: scornworthy
word: scummy
word: scurvy
word: shabby
word: shameful
word: sleazy
word: slavish
word: slimy
word: sordid
word: sorry
word: trashy
word: ugly
word: uncommendable
word: uncool
word: unmentionable
word: unwashed
word: unsophisticated
word: unworthy
word: vile
word: vulgar
word: weak
word: worthless
word: wretched
glosses: Disgusting, horrid, rotten.
examples: text: Shees bitter to her country, heare me Paris, / For euery falſe drop in her bavvdy veines, / A Grecians life hath ſunke: for euery ſcruple / Of her contaminated carrion vvaight, / A Troyan hath beene ſlaine.
ref: c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Famous Historie of Troylus and Cresseid. […] (First Quarto), London: […] G[eorge] Eld for R[ichard] Bonian and H[enry] Walley, […], published 1609, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], signature H, recto:
glosses: Of the living human body, the soul, etc.: fleshly, mortal, sinful.
synonyms: word: angular
word: anorexic
word: carrion
word: emaciated
word: gangling
word: gangly
word: gaunt
word: haggard
word: macilent
word: lank
word: lanky
word: leptosome
word: pencil-necked
word: puny
word: rangy
word: rawboned
word: reedy
word: scraggy
word: scrawny
word: skin and bones
word: skinny
word: starved
word: thin as a rake
word: undernourished
word: underweight
word: wasted
word: weedy
glosses: Very thin; emaciated, skeletonlike.
examples: text: O hell! vvhat haue vve heere, a carrion death? / VVithin vvhoſe empty eye there is a vvritten ſcroule, / Ile reade the vvriting.
ref: c. 1596–1598 (date written), W[illiam] Shakespeare, The Excellent History of the Merchant of Venice. […] (First Quarto), [London]: […] J[ames] Roberts [for Thomas Heyes], published 1600, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vii], signature [D4], recto:
glosses: Of or pertaining to death.