Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Related Searches
on Ask.com
Synonyms
Nearby Entries
appetite - 7 dictionary results

ap⋅pe⋅tite

  [ap-i-tahyt]
Use appetite in a Sentence
–noun
1. a desire for food or drink: I have no appetite for lunch today.
2. a desire to satisfy any bodily need or craving.
3. a desire or liking for something; fondness; taste: an appetite for power; an appetite for pleasure.
Origin:
1275–1325; ME appetit (< AF) < L appetītus natural desire, equiv. to appetī- (var. s. of appetere; see appetence ) + -tus suffix of v. action

Synonyms:
1–3. longing, hunger. 1, 3. thirst. 2. inclination, wish. 3. relish, gusto, zest.

Antonyms:
1–3. satiety.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To appetite
ap·pe·tite   (āp'ĭ-tīt')   
n.  
  1. An instinctive physical desire, especially one for food or drink.
  2. A strong wish or urge: an appetite for learning.

[Middle English apetit, from Old French, from Latin appetītus, strong desire, from past participle of appetere, to strive after : ad-, ad- + petere, to seek; see pet- in Indo-European roots.]
ap'pe·ti'tive (āp'ĭ-tī'tĭv, ə-pět'ĭ-tĭv) adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Appetite

Ap"pe*tite\, n. [OE. appetit, F. app['e]tit, fr. L. appetitus, fr. appetere to strive after, long for; ad + petere to seek. See Petition, and cf. Appetence.]

1. The desire for some personal gratification, either of the body or of the mind.

The object of appetite it whatsoever sensible good may be wished for; the object of will is that good which reason does lead us to seek. --Hooker.

2. Desire for, or relish of, food or drink; hunger.

Men must have appetite before they will eat. --Buckle.

3. Any strong desire; an eagerness or longing.

It God had given to eagles an appetite to swim. --Jer. Taylor.

To gratify the vulgar appetite for the marvelous. --Macaulay.

4. Tendency; appetency. [Obs.]

In all bodies there as an appetite of union. --Bacon.

5. The thing desired. [Obs.]

Power being the natural appetite of princes. --Swift.

Note: In old authors, appetite is followed by to or of, but regularly it should be followed by for before the object; as, an appetite for pleasure.

Syn: Craving; longing; desire; appetency; passion.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Cite This Source
Language Translation for : appetite
Spanish: apetito,
German: der Appetit,
Japanese: 食欲
More Translations »

appetite 
c.1303, "craving for food," from Anglo-Fr. appetit, from O.Fr. apetit, from L. appetitus "desire toward," from appetere "to long for, desire" from ad- "to" + petere "go to, seek out" (see petition). Appetizer "something taken to whet the appetite" is from 1862; appetizing "exciting desire or hunger" is from 1653.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source

Main Entry: ap·pe·tite
Pronunciation: 'ap-&-"tIt
Function: noun
: any of the instinctive desires necessary to keep up organic life;especially : the desire to eat —ap·pe·ti·tive /-"tIt-iv/ adjective
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source

appetite ap·pe·tite (āp'ĭ-tīt')
n.
An instinctive physical desire, as for food or sex.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source

appetite

see whet one's appetite

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see appetite on Thesaurus | Reference