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ra·ven¹

(rāvən)

1. A large bird (Corvus corax) of the Northern Hemisphere, having black plumage and a croaking cry.

2. Any of several similar birds of the genus Corvus, found in Africa, Australia, and southwestern North America.

adj.

Black and shiny: raven tresses.

[Middle English, from Old English hræfn.]

rav·en²

(răvən)

v. rav·ened, rav·en·ing, rav·ens

v.tr.

1. To consume greedily; devour.

2. To seek or seize as prey or plunder.

v.intr.

1. To seek or seize prey or plunder.

2. To eat ravenously.

Variant of ravin.

[From Middle English ravin, raven, rapine, plunder, prey; see RAVIN.]

raven·er n.

rav·in also rav·en

(răvən)

1. Voracity; rapaciousness.

2. Something taken as prey.

3. The act or practice of preying.

[Middle English ravin, raven, from Old French ravine, rapine, from Latin rapīna, from rapere, to seize; see rep- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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