Other forms: cannibals
A cannibal is somebody who eats the flesh of their own kind. Accused of cannibalism, cannibal tribes, a cannibal species.
The word came from Columbus's garbled record of the name of the Caribs, and accusations of cannibalism were used for centuries to justify conquest — which is why historians treat the reports with great care. In biology it is common and unremarkable in many species.
1nouncannibalSomebody who eats the flesh of their own kind.
“Some spiders are cannibals, and the female may eat the male after mating.”
cannibal is a person or animal.
Spanish canibal comes from Caniba, Columbus's recording of the name of the Caribs. Caribbean is the same word.
Spanish
caníbal
English, today
cannibal
Borrowed from Spanish caníbal. Borrowed from Spanish caníbal, from tnq caniba, the Taíno form recorded by Christopher Columbus for the Caribs, who were greatly feared. From an awd - language, probably tnq -, and ultimately from sai-car-pro karipona (“person”). a doublet of Carib and caribe and Garifuna and Carijona and Kari'na and Caribbean.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA