I know what an animal is in a technical sense. That's not the question, I mean when you use the word "animal" in casual conversation, what do you mean?
I ask, because I had a conversation with a coworker today where she claimed that fish weren't animals, they were just fish. This seemed stupid to me, because my personal definition, outside of the scientific one, for the word "animal" is something non-human that is unintelligent, or at least less intelligent than humans, and part of the kingdom Animalia.
But I understand that not everyone uses that same definition. Some people use animal to refer specifically to land animals or mammals. So, I ask you when you use the word "animal" in a conversation, what do you mean?
I ask, because I had a conversation with a coworker today where she claimed that fish weren't animals, they were just fish. This seemed stupid to me, because my personal definition, outside of the scientific one, for the word "animal" is something non-human that is unintelligent, or at least less intelligent than humans, and part of the kingdom Animalia.
But I understand that not everyone uses that same definition. Some people use animal to refer specifically to land animals or mammals. So, I ask you when you use the word "animal" in a conversation, what do you mean?