carrion
Part of speech: noun
adj
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: The noun is derived from Middle English caroyne (“corpse, carrion, something disgusting”), 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 either a hypercorrection based on the analogy of words like merlin/merlion or, more likely, represents metathesis of the last element of the diphthong in caroyne.
The adjective is derived from the noun.
Inflected forms:
form: carrions
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: more carrion
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: most carrion
pos: adj
tags: superlative
Senses:
gloss: Rotting flesh of a dead animal or person.
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
usually
examples: Vultures feed on carrion.
[W]ee ſee by experience, that ſome [brute beasts] feedeth on yͤ graſſe in yͤ fyelds ſome liues in the ayre eating flyes, others vpon yͤ wormes in carin, others wͭ [with] that they fynd vnder the water.
[W]hat disordered slippery decks of a whale-ship are comparable to the unspeakable carrion of those battle-fields from which so many soldiers return to drink in all ladies' plaudits?
He brought down with him to our haunted house a little cask of salt beef; for, he is always convinced that all salt beef not of his own pickling, is mere carrion, and invariably, when he goes to London, packs a piece in his portmanteau.
And the butterflies are flaunting across the rides in the Forest. Perhaps the Purple Emperor is feasting, as Morris says, upon a mass of putrid carrion at the base of an oak tree.
gloss: Corrupt or horrid matter.
pos: noun
tags: figuratively
uncountable
usually
examples: [T]here are melancholy sceptics with a taste for carrion who batten on the hideous facts in history,—persecutions, inquisitions, St. Bartholomew massacres, devilish lives, […]
Roman fashionable society hated Cæsar, and any carrion was welcome to them which would taint his reputation.
gloss: Filth, garbage.
pos: noun
tags: figuratively
obsolete
uncountable
usually
gloss: The flesh of a living human body; also (Christianity), sinful human nature.
pos: noun
tags: derogatory
figuratively
obsolete
uncountable
usually
examples: Shy[lock]. My ovvne fleſh and blood to rebell. / Salan[io]. Out vpon it old carrion, rebels it as theſe yeares.
gloss: A dead body; a carcass, a corpse.
pos: noun
tags: countable
obsolete
uncountable
usually
examples: [T]hey looked like anatomies of death, they spake like ghosts crying out of their graves; they did eate the dead carrions, happy where they could finde them, yea, and one another soone after, insomuch as the very carcasses they spared not to scrape out of their graves; […]
[T]here is here a perpetual Garriſon of Engliſh, but they are of Engliſh Dogs, vvhich are let out in the night to guard the Ships, and eat the Carrens up and dovvn the Streets, and ſo they are ſhut up again in the Morning.
gloss: An animal which is in poor condition or worthless; also, an animal which is a pest or vermin.
pos: noun
tags: countable
figuratively
obsolete
uncountable
usually
examples: [L]ords will by their wils / Rather haue one wodcock, than a thouſand dawſe. / Wodcocks ar meate, daws ar carren, wey this clauſe. / In dede ſir (ſaid the daw) I muſt needes agree, / Lords loue to eate you, and not to eate mee.
Let carren and barren, be ſhifted awaie, / for beſt is the beſt, whatſoeuer ye paie.
Having ſhevved you the moſt deſireable, uſefull, and beneficiall creatures, vvith the moſt offenſive carrions that belong to our VVilderneſſe, it remaines in the next place, to ſhevv you ſuch kinds of Fovvle as the Countrey affoords: […]
gloss: A contemptible or worthless person.
pos: noun
tags: countable
derogatory
figuratively
obsolete
uncountable
usually
examples: And vvhat other Oath, / Then Honeſty to Honeſty ingag'd, / That this ſhall be, or vve vvill fall for it. / Svveare Prieſts and Covvards, and men Cautelous / Old feeble Carrions, and ſuch ſuffering Soules / That vvelcome vvrongs: […]
[…] Pegg Kite, […] will be, I doubt, a troublesome carrion to us executors; but if she will not be ruled, I shall fling up my executorship.
gloss: Pertaining to, or made up of, rotting flesh.
pos: adj
tags: derogatory
examples: 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: […]
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: […]
You'l aske me vvhy I rather chooſe to haue / A vveight of carrion fleſh, then to receiue / Three thouſand Ducats?
gloss: Disgusting, horrid, rotten.
pos: adj
tags: figuratively
examples: [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!
'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.
gloss: Of the living human body, the soul, etc.: fleshly, mortal, sinful.
pos: adj
tags: derogatory
figuratively
examples: 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.
gloss: Very thin; emaciated, skeletonlike.
pos: adj
tags: obsolete
gloss: Of or pertaining to death.
pos: adj
tags: obsolete
examples: O hell! vvhat haue vve heere, a carrion death? / VVithin vvhoſe empty eye there is a vvritten ſcroule, / Ile reade the vvriting.
Related words: necrophage
scavenger
Derived words: carrion beetle
carrion-bird
carrion crow
carrionere
carrion feeder
carrion flower
carrion fly
carrion-hawk
carrionize
carrion-like
carrionly
carrion vulture
crone
Translations: