an‧i‧mal 1 S1 W1 / ænəm ə l, ænɪm ə l / 名词 [可数名词]

1 a living creature such as a dog or cat, that is not an insect, plant, bird, fish, or person :

furry little animals

wild/domestic/farm animals

cattle, sheep, and other domestic animals

The cosmetics have not been tested on animals.

Beth is an animal lover (= someone who likes animals ) .

2 any living creature that is not a plant or a person :

He can’t stand cruelty to animals of any sort.

the animal welfare movement in Britain

the enormous diversity of the animal kingdom

3 any living creature, including people :

Man is a highly intelligent animal.

4 informal someone who behaves in a cruel, violent, or very rude way :

Football hooligans are just animals.

5 a (very/completely/entirely) different animal informal something that is very different from the thing you have mentioned :

Writing email is a very different animal from all other forms of writing.

6 a political/social etc animal informal someone who is interested in politics, in meeting other people etc :

He is simply not a social animal.

THESAURUS

animal a living thing such as a dog, cow, or tiger, but not an insect, fish, or bird : farm animals such as cows, sheep, and pigs | People are becoming more concerned about animal welfare.

creature / kritʃə $ -ər / an animal – used especially when describing a particular animal’s characteristics or when referring to animals generally : The cheetah is a magnificent creature. | all the living creatures in the sea

beast an animal, especially a large or dangerous one : To most people, lions are savage beasts. | a wild beast

living thing an animal considered as one of a group of things that grow and then die, including humans and plants : The only living things we saw were dogs and cats.

species / spiʃiz / a group of animals whose members are similar and can breed together to produce young animals : Seven species of birds of prey have been observed.

mammal an animal that drinks milk from its mother’s body when it is young : Humans, dogs, and whales are all mammals.

vertebrate a living creature that has a backbone : viruses that affect chickens, monkeys, and most other vertebrates

invertebrate a living creature that does not have a backbone : earthworms and other small invertebrates