/ ˈkænɪbl; NAmE / noun
1.
a person who eats human flesh :
a tribe of cannibals
2.
an animal that eats the flesh of other animals of the same kind
► can·ni·bal·ism / ˈkænɪbəlɪzəm; NAmE / noun [ U ]:
to practise cannibalism
► can·ni·bal·is·tic / ˌkænɪbəˈlɪstɪk; NAmE / adjective
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 16th cent.: from Spanish Canibales (plural), variant (recorded by Columbus) of Caribes , the name of a West Indian people reputed to eat humans.