can ‧ ni ‧ bal ‧ ize BrE AmE ( also cannibalise British English ) /ˈkænəbəlaɪz, ˈkænɪbəlaɪz/ verb [transitive]
1 . to take parts of one machine to use in another, for example to repair it:
The truck was cannibalized for parts.
2 . technical if one of a company’s products cannibalizes another, it takes sales away from it