English

Noun

oophagy ‎(uncountable)

1. (zoology) The cannibalization of subordinate eggs within a homogeneous population or the uterus; particularly as it relates to certain insect and aquatic species. [from 19th c.]
   • 2015, Theo Tait, ‘Don't wear yum-yum yellow’, London Review of Books, vol. 34 no. 15:

     A number of shark species go in for oophagy, or uterine cannibalism.

Related terms

• oophagous

Synonyms

• adelphophagy
• embryophagy