carrion (2 (i) is still in midland dialect use)
1.
dead putrefying flesh
Ham. II. ii. 184
“if the sun breed
maggots in a dead dog, being a god
kissing ”
; also attrib. “carrion
men”
Cæs. III. i. 275;
esp.= feeding on carrion, e.g. “carrion flies”
Rom. III. iii. 35,
“carrion kites”
2H6 V. ii. 11.
2.
used contemptuously
(i) of a living person, as being no better than
carrion Wiv. III. iii. 204,
H5 IV. ii. 39
“Yon island
carrions,”
Rom. III. v. 157,
Cæs. II. i. 130
“Old feeble
carrions”
; (ii) the living human body, the flesh
Mer.V. III. i. 38
“Out upon it, old
carrion! rebels it at these
years?”
; attrib.
Mer.V. IV. i. 41
“A weight of carrion
flesh.”
3.
epithet of Death
personified
Mer.V. II. vii. 63
“A carrion Death”
; cf.
John III. iv. 33
“a carrion monster like
thyself”
[i.e. Death].
