Cannibalized: meaning, definitions and examples

Etymology

• The word 'cannibal' comes from the Spanish 'canibal', which referred to the Carib people who were rumored to eat human flesh.
• The term 'cannibalize' was first recorded in the 18th century, emphasizing the concept of one thing consuming another in a metaphorical sense.
• The word has evolved to apply not only to food but also to processes and materials in various fields such as technology and business.

Business and Technology

• In business, companies may cannibalize their own products to introduce new ones, often gaining more market share in the process.
• Software developers might cannibalize code from older projects to streamline development and enhance new software features.
• The strategy of cannibalization can lead to innovation, although it often risks alienating existing customers.

Culture and Society

• In popular culture, the concept of cannibalization appears in discussions about cultural appropriation, where elements of a culture are taken and used without acknowledgment.
• Films and literature often use cannibalization metaphorically to describe how one entity takes advantage of another, emphasizing conflict or struggle.
• In the world of fashion, trends may cannibalize previous styles, creating new expressions while recycling old ideas.

Literature

• Cannibalized narratives are common in literature, where authors may take elements from earlier works to create originals, a form of homage or critique.
• William Shakespeare often re-cannibalized existing stories and historical episodes, turning them into new, engaging plays.
• The process of intertextuality reveals how literature can reflect and cannibalize cultural ideas across generations.

Psychology

• Psychologists may study how individuals can cannibalize their own thoughts, repurposing past experiences to navigate current issues.
• This term can also relate to the way people draw on their past knowledge and experiences—like cannibalizing memories—to solve problems.
• Cognitive cannibalization reflects how learning from previous mistakes can improve decision-making in the future.

Ranking #38,064, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.

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• 38061 tush
• 38062 cheekily
• 38063 fraternized
• 38064 cannibalized
• 38065 surmountable
• 38066 monetize
• 38067 unauthentic
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