noun
cannibals; cannibal tribe
Refers to a group or race of people who practice cannibalism. Often used in historical, anthropological, or fictional contexts.
その島にはかつて人食い人種が住んでいたと言われている。
It is said that cannibals once lived on that island.
人食い is a more general term for 'man-eating' or 'cannibalistic', often used as a prefix or adjective, while 人食い人種 specifically refers to a cannibal tribe or race.
Compound of 人食い (ひとくい, 'man-eating') and 人種 (じんしゅ, 'race'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning.