"eating or feeding on carrion," 1819, from Medieval Latin necrophagus, from Greek nekrophagos; see necro- "corpse" + -phagous.
Entries linking to necrophagous
necro-
before vowels, necr-, word-forming element meaning "death, corpse, dead tissue," from Latinized form of Greek nekros "dead body, corpse, dead person," from PIE root *nek- (1) "death."
-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."