cadaver

noun

ca·​dav·​er kə-ˈda-vər How to pronounce cadaver (audio)
Synonyms of cadaver
: a dead body
especially : one intended for dissection
cadaveric
kə-ˈdav-rik How to pronounce cadaver (audio)
-ˈda-və-
adjective

Synonyms of cadaver

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of cadaver in a Sentence

medical students who train by using cadavers
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The search teams from across counties, the city and the state used helicopters, boats, sonar, drones and cadaver dogs to search a nine-mile stretch of the river. — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026 The discovery came after emergency crews searched nearly 9 miles of the Passaic River using boats, sonar equipment, drones, helicopters and cadaver dogs. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026 Prosecutors claimed that Burke had purchased two cadaver bags, a shovel and three different chainsaws following Hernandez’s murder. — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 27 July 2026 The warrant also alleges investigators searched multiple locations with cadaver dogs but were unable to locate the child's remains, according to the outlet. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 27 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for cadaver

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from cadere to fall

First Known Use

circa 1500, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cadaver was circa 1500

Browse Nearby Words

cadastre
cadaver
cadaveric
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cadaver.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cadaver. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

cadaver

noun
ca·​dav·​er kə-ˈdav-ər How to pronounce cadaver (audio)
: a dead body especially of a person : corpse

Medical Definition

cadaver

noun
ca·​dav·​er kə-ˈdav-ər How to pronounce cadaver (audio)
plural cadavers also cadavera -ə-rə How to pronounce cadaver (audio)
: a dead body
specifically : one intended for use in medical education or research
cadaveric
-(ə-)rik How to pronounce cadaver (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on cadaver

Nglish: Translation of cadaver for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cadaver

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All