# Looking for a word similar to CANNIBLE **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 7, 2004, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-word-similar-to-cannible/268100 "2004-10-07T21:35:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-word-similar-to-cannible/268100/1 "2004-10-07T21:35:56Z")
But would apply to eating other sentient species. For a story. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-word-similar-to-cannible/268100/2 "2004-10-07T21:41:59Z")
[snark on]It might help if you searched for words similar to **cannibal**.[snark off] ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-word-similar-to-cannible/268100/3 "2004-10-07T21:46:12Z")
Cannibbler? Cerebrophage? Bibliophage? Orc? Meter Maid? ---
**Author:** ![alimarx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@alimarx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alimarx)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-word-similar-to-cannible/268100/4 "2004-10-07T21:46:56Z")
Maybe the OP means “cannable”, as in “preserving other sentient species for eating”. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-word-similar-to-cannible/268100/5 "2004-10-07T21:52:51Z")
Good one alimarx, 😉 Wikipedia defines sentience as the ability to percieve. Given that I can’t think of a much more appropriate term than carnivore. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-word-similar-to-cannible/268100/6 "2004-10-07T21:55:42Z")
“Cannible” would appear to mean “capable of being canned” as in “Get me a dozen Mason jars, Sonny – these beans are definitely cannible!” I don’t know that there is a term for “eating intelligent alien species” – it’s a concept that hasn’t come up often before the 20th Century. How about “sophontophagous”? (Accent on the “toff” syllable.) ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-word-similar-to-cannible/268100/7 "2004-10-07T21:56:00Z")
It might help if you describe why sentient species make better food. If it’s because of an essential nutrititional value that sentience gives to the flesh, perhaps _cognivore_ or even _sapivore_. If it’s a philosophical thing, that one should eat higher beings in order to prove themselves even higher on the food chain, I suggest _subjectivore_. If it’s a strategic thing, as a way to eliminate potential enemies, how about _enmivore_ or _adversivore_? ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-word-similar-to-cannible/268100/8 "2004-10-07T21:56:38Z")
Sentivore? ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-word-similar-to-cannible/268100/9 "2004-10-07T22:10:38Z")
How about cannabinol-ism -istic ? or better yet they could be primavores…one who eats from the top of the food chain. ah well…good luck **ncn** ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-word-similar-to-cannible/268100/10 "2004-10-07T22:13:52Z")
make that **ncb** :smack: you’d think I’d been smoking weed or something…got the munchies now I’m gonna see who I can find to eat around here 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-word-similar-to-cannible/268100/11 "2004-10-07T22:20:19Z")
Sophiaphagia? Sapientiavores? ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-word-similar-to-cannible/268100/12 "2004-10-07T22:34:53Z")
Cephalophages, the dreaded head-eaters of Omega Upsilon V! ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-word-similar-to-cannible/268100/13 "2004-10-07T22:35:11Z")
Xenophage perhapse, someone who eats foreigners? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-word-similar-to-cannible/268100/14 "2004-10-07T22:54:03Z")
Spelling was never my strong soot. I like the sound of xenophage, maybe xenovore. Sounds sci-fi-y. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-word-similar-to-cannible/268100/15 "2004-10-07T23:04:20Z")
Xenophage gets 5170 hits on Google. Xenophore gets 153 (only 41 unique). If you want something unique, how about xenannible? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-word-similar-to-cannible/268100/16 "2004-10-07T23:10:25Z")
Well, “xenophage” or “xenophore” sounds neato and sci-fi and wicked cool and all that, but the root “xeno” technically means “strange, different, unfamiliar.” “Sophont” is a much better root. I’d remiss I didn’t recall it myself. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-word-similar-to-cannible/268100/17 "2004-10-07T23:20:54Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > Xenophage gets 5170 hits on Google. > > Xenophore gets 153 (only 41 unique). > > If you want something unique, how about xenannible? 😃 Slight problem there: _-phore_ means “bearing,” as in Xiphophorus, the “swordtail” of tropical fish hobbyists. _- **v** ore_ means “eating,” as in carnivores and herbivores. Lots of mammals are herbivorous, but the only one that’s herbiphorous would be the sloth, with the algae in its fur. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-word-similar-to-cannible/268100/18 "2004-10-07T23:36:19Z")
> [@](#): > > Sophiaphagia? Along the same lines: Atheneophage Metiovore Saraswathibal… ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-word-similar-to-cannible/268100/19 "2004-10-08T00:14:04Z")
something that eats a variety of species might be called a **Poly-vore** :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-word-similar-to-cannible/268100/20 "2004-10-08T00:19:56Z")
> [@t-keela](#): > > something that eats a variety of species might be called a **Poly-vore** :eek: :eek: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-word-similar-to-cannible/268100.md?page=2)