Scrabble Bingo of the Day: CARRION

CARRION  n pl. -S  dead and putrefying flesh

59 points (9 points without the bingo)

The word CARRION refers to the dead and putrefying flesh on the carcass of any dead animal. Yes… humans are animals. Carrion differs from plain old dead bodies (cadavers, corpses, LICH, etc.) because it pertains to rotten flesh used as a meat source by scavenger carnivores and omnivores, such as coyotes, hawks and vultures.

Carrion attracts insects, breeds bacteria and smells horribly because of the emission of cadaverine and putrescine, both two very appropriate names. Because of the risk of disease and infection caused by harmful bacteria and toxins, carrion is considered unfit for human consumption.

Still, necrophagy (not a Scrabble word) has been used by humans during wartime and in survival situations, as well as by cancer patients trying to boost their immune system and those looking for a good bodily cleanse. It's also been suggested that early humans obtained meat via scavenging, not hunting. While on the subject of humans, I should also mention ANTHROPOPHAGY, which is better known as cannibalism, or in the case of carrion-eating, necro-cannibalism.

And carrion is not to be mistaken with INFARCT, which refers to a specific area of dead or dying tissue in living animals caused by NECROSIS. But thinking about things like carrion and infarct brings up a whole slew of questions regarding zombies. Or any other corporeal REVENANT.

Can zombies get sick by eating carrion? Would they develop infarcts on their body after turning into a zombie? Would zombies be considered carrions themselves if a hawk or even another zombie were to feast on their dead flesh? Are zombies deemed cannibals? Would post-apocalyptic shows like The Walking Dead actually make it a third season? Wouldn't the rotten flesh of the zombies eventually decompose after 50 days or so, when all that's left is bone? Do zombies have blood flowing through their veins?

Lots of questions… there should be a horror movie that explains all of this.

Check out all of the previous Halloween-worthy words this week in the Scrabble World blog.

Related Words

ANTHROPOPHAGY  n pl. -GIES  the eating of human flesh by humans
CADAVER  n pl. -S  a corpse
CANNIBAL  n pl. -S  one who eats his own kind
CORPSE  n pl. -S  a dead body
INFARCT  n pl. -S  an area of dead or dying tissue
LICH  n pl. -ES  a corpse
NECROSE  v  -CROSED, -CROSING, -CROSES  to affect with necrosis
NECROSIS  n pl. -CROSES  the death of living tissue  NECROTIC adj
REVENANT  n pl. -S  one that returns
UNDEAD  n pl. UNDEAD  a vampire
VAMPIRE  n pl. -S  a reanimated corpse believed to feed on sleeping persons' blood
ZOMBI  n pl. -S  zombie
ZOMBIE  n pl. -S  a will-less human capable only of automatic movement

Photos by roy.luck, Djambalawa, Conor Lawless, myhappydivorce, plusgood

What's a Scrabble Bingo?

A bingo is when a player empties his or her rack in one turn, placing all seven of their letters on the board to create a word that's at least seven letters long. The term "bingo" is used primarily in the U.S., but elsewhere it's simply known as a "bonus" because you get a bonus of 50 points added to your turn's score. "Scrabble Bingo of the Day" will focus on these high scoring plays, teaching you some interesting and possibly unusual seven-letter or longer words accepted in a game of Scrabble.

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