Animal vs. Critter

Animalnoun

In scientific usage, a multicellular organism that is usually mobile, whose cells are not encased in a rigid cell wall (distinguishing it from plants and fungi) and which derives energy solely from the consumption of other organisms (distinguishing it from plants).

‘A cat is an animal, not a plant. Humans are also animals, under the scientific definition, as we are not plants.’;

Critternoun

A creature, an animal.

Animalnoun

In non-scientific usage, any member of the kingdom Animalia other than a human.

Critternoun

Any animal; as, lots of critters come out only at night.

Animalnoun

In non-scientific usage, any land-living vertebrate (i.e. not fishes, insects, etc.).

Critternoun

A domestic animal or a non-predatory wild animal; - contrasted with varmint, also dialectal.

Animalnoun

(figuratively) A person who behaves wildly; a bestial, brutal, brutish, cruel, or inhuman person.

‘My students are animals.’;

Critternoun

a regional term for creature (especially domestic animals)

Animalnoun

(informal) A person of a particular type.

‘He's a political animal.’;

Animalnoun

, thing.

‘a whole different animal’;

Animaladjective

Of or relating to animals.

‘animal instincts’;

Animaladjective

Raw, base, unhindered by social codes.

‘animal passions’;

Animaladjective

Pertaining to the spirit or soul; relating to sensation or innervation.

Animaladjective

Excellent

Animalnoun

An organized living being endowed with sensation and the power of voluntary motion, and also characterized by taking its food into an internal cavity or stomach for digestion; by giving carbonic acid to the air and taking oxygen in the process of respiration; and by increasing in motive power or active aggressive force with progress to maturity.

Animalnoun

One of the lower animals; a brute or beast, as distinguished from man; as, men and animals.

Animaladjective

Of or relating to animals; as, animal functions.

Animaladjective

Pertaining to the merely sentient part of a creature, as distinguished from the intellectual, rational, or spiritual part; as, the animal passions or appetites.

Animaladjective

Consisting of the flesh of animals; as, animal food.

Animalnoun

a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

Animaladjective

of the appetites and passions of the body;

‘animal instincts’; ‘carnal knowledge’; ‘fleshly desire’; ‘a sensual delight in eating’; ‘music is the only sensual pleasure without vice’;

Animaladjective

of the nature of or characteristic of or derived from an animal or animals;

‘the animal kingdom’; ‘animal instincts’; ‘animal fats’; ‘decaying vegetable matter’;

Animalnoun

a living organism that feeds on organic matter, typically having specialized sense organs and nervous system and able to respond rapidly to stimuli

‘wild animals adapt badly to a caged life’; ‘humans are the only animals who weep’;

Animalnoun

an animal as opposed to a human being

‘are humans superior to animals, or just different?’;

Animalnoun

a mammal, as opposed to a bird, reptile, fish, or insect

‘the snowfall seemed to have chased all birds, animals, and men indoors’;

Animalnoun

a person without human attributes or civilizing influences, especially someone who is very cruel, violent, or repulsive

‘those men have to be animals—what they did to that boy was savage’;

Animalnoun

a particular type of person or thing

‘property development was a different animal altogether’; ‘I am a political animal’;

Animaladjective

relating to or characteristic of animals

‘animal welfare’; ‘the evolution of animal life’;

Animaladjective

of animals as distinct from plants

‘tissues of animal and vegetable protein’;

Animaladjective

characteristic of the physical and instinctive needs of animals; of the flesh rather than the spirit or intellect

‘a crude surrender to animal lust’;

Animaladjective

relating to or denoting the pole or extremity of an embryo that contains the more active cytoplasm in the early stages of development.

Animal

Animals (also called Metazoa) are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, are able to move, can reproduce sexually, and go through an ontogenetic stage in which their body consists of a hollow sphere of cells, the blastula, during embryonic development.