tr.v. de·voured, de·vour·ing, de·vours 1. To eat up greedily. See Synonyms at eat. 2. To destroy, consume, or waste: Flames devoured the structure in minutes. 3. To take in eagerly: devour a novel. 4. To preoccupy or obsess in a harmful way: was devoured by jealousy. [Middle English devouren, from Old French devourer, from Latin dēvorāre : dē-, de- + vorāre, to swallow.] de·vourer n. de·vouring·ly adv. |
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