noun
- a person who practices cannibalism; a cannibal
Usage: formal or archaic; from Greek anthropos (human) + phagos (eater)
Examples
- Early European explorers sometimes labeled indigenous peoples as anthropophagi based on unfounded rumors.
- The term anthropophagus appears in classical and medieval texts to describe alleged man-eating practices.
- Anthropophagus is rarely used in modern English; cannibal is the standard contemporary term.
- The fictional character was portrayed as an anthropophagus in the Gothic novel.
- Anthropological studies have challenged historical claims that certain societies were truly anthropophagous.