The Spanish word 'carnívoro' (meaning 'carnivorous') comes from the Latin word 'carnivorus' meaning 'flesh-eating'. This Latin word was formed by combining two elements: 'caro' meaning 'flesh, meat' and 'vorare' meaning 'to devour', connected by the linking vowel '-i-'. This compound literally means 'flesh-devouring' or 'meat-eating', which perfectly describes animals that primarily eat meat.

Several common Spanish words share the 'carn-' root from Latin 'caro': 'carne' (meat), 'carnicería' (butcher shop), and 'carnal' (relating to flesh or body). The 'vor-' element appears in other Spanish words like 'devorar' (to devour) and 'voraz' (voracious).

English speakers can recognize this word's roots in several familiar words. From the 'carn-' root, we have words like 'carnivore', 'carnival' (originally referring to the eating of meat before Lent), and 'carnal'. The 'vor-' element appears in English words like 'voracious', 'devour', and 'omnivorous'. The English word 'carnivorous' is a direct cognate of Spanish 'carnívoro', both coming from the same Latin source.