n.
Pronunciation: ' ka-n ə -b ə - ˌ li-z ə m
Function: noun
Date: 1796
1 : the usually ritualistic eating of human flesh by a human being
2 : the eating of the flesh of an animal by another animal of the same kind
3 : an act of cannibalizing something
– can · ni · bal · is · tic \ ˌ ka-n ə -b ə - ' lis-tik \ adjective