devour
Use Devour in a sentence
ər, -ˈvaʊ verb (used with object)
1.
to swallow or eat up hungrily, voraciously, or ravenously.
2.
to consume destructively, recklessly, or wantonly: Fire devoured the old museum.
3.
to engulf or swallow up.
4.
to take in greedily with the senses or intellect: to devour the works of Freud.
5.
to absorb or engross wholly: a mind devoured by fears.
Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English devouren < Anglo-French, Old French devourer < Latin dēvorāre to swallow down, equivalent to dē- de- + vorāre to eat up
1275–1325; Middle English devouren < Anglo-French, Old French devourer < Latin dēvorāre to swallow down, equivalent to dē- de- + vorāre to eat up
Related forms
de·vour·er, noun
de·vour·ing·ly, adverb
de·vour·ing·ness, noun
in·ter·de·vour, verb (used with object)
pre·de·vour, verb (used with object)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Devour
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| to run away hurriedly; flee. |
| to bark; yelp. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
devour (dɪˈvaʊə) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | to swallow or eat up greedily or voraciously |
| 2. | to waste or destroy; consume: the flames devoured the curtains |
| 3. | to consume greedily or avidly with the senses or mind: he devoured the manuscripts |
| 4. | to engulf or absorb: the flood devoured the land |
| [C14: from Old French devourer, from Latin dēvorāre to gulp down, from | |
| de'vourer | |
| —n | |
| de'vouring | |
| —adj | |
| de'vouringly | |
| —adv | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
devour
early 14c., from O.Fr. devorer, from L. devorare "swallow down," from de- "down" + vorare "swallow" (see voracious).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Serious foodies will devour this memoir.
But then the animal should not really even have been whimpering: predators might notice and devour it.
Algae not only reduce a plant's global warming gases, but also devour other pollutants.
Flocks of cedar waxwings congregate to devour the fruits.
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