"practice of eating meat," 1640s, from sarco- "flesh" +-phagy "eating" (see -phagous).
Entries linking to sarcophagy
sarco-
before vowels sarc-, word-forming element in science meaning "flesh, fleshy, of the flesh;" from Latinized form of Greek sark-, combining form of sarx "flesh," traditionally derived from a PIE root *twerk-, *tuerk- "to cut" (source also of Avestan thwares "to cut"), but Beekes is dubious.
-phagous
word-forming element meaning "eating, feeding on," from Latin -phagus, from Greek -phagos "eater of," from phagein "to eat," literally "to have a share of food," from PIE root *bhag- "to share out, apportion; to get a share."