carcass
UK: ˈkɑːkəs | US: ˈkɑːrkəs
n. the dead body of an animal, especially one slaughtered for food
n. the remains of a structure or object, especially one that is decayed or destroyed
The word "carcass" traces back to Old French carcois or carcais, meaning "dead body" or "framework." It likely derives from Late Latin carcoium, a variant of caro (flesh) + the suffix -ass, which may have been influenced by Vulgar Latin or Old French noun-forming patterns. The term originally referred to the physical remains of an animal or human but later specialized to describe animal bodies, particularly in butchery or hunting contexts. Over time, it also metaphorically expanded to denote the skeletal remains of structures (e.g., a ship’s carcass). The morpheme carc preserves the core idea of "flesh," while -ass functions as a nominal suffix without standalone meaning in English.
Vultures circled above the rotting carcass of a deer.
The butcher hung the carcass in the cooler to age the meat.
Archaeologists found the carcass of an ancient wagon in the desert.
The fire reduced the building to a charred carcass.
Fishermen discarded the fish carcass after filleting it.