rap-, rav-

1. Lustrous black: Sherry has beautiful raven locks of hair.
2. To have a great appetite or to be very hungry: The wrestler was well-known for his raven appetite after each match.

Any of several large, corvine birds having lustrous, black plumage and a loud, harsh call; especially, "Corvus corax", of the New and Old Worlds: He saw birds that had shiny black feathers and looked like crows, but they were bigger; in fact they really were ravens.

1. To seek plunder or to prey: The newspapers carried reports that the grasshoppers were ravening the countryside and destroying the crops.
2. To eat, to feed, or to devour voraciously or greedily: With his appetite, he ravened like an animal.
3. To seize as spoil or as prey: The invading enemy hordes attempted to raven the treasury of all the gold.

1. Pertaining to being excessively greedy and grasping: Hank's most ravening appetite for money often leads him to speculate on the stock market.
2. A reference to gulping down or craving food in great quantities: Under a microscope, the protozoan appeared to have ravening appetites for minute particles of nutrients.
3. A description of animals that survive by preying on other animals; especially, by catching living prey: The more ravening habits of the coyotes in the wild conflicted with the habits of the domestic animals of the farmers.

1. A descriptive term meaning very hungry: A ravenous person feels as if he or she hasn't eaten for days.

The ravenous predatory animals seize and eat their prey.

After his illness, Adam had a ravenous appetite and ate a large bowl of soup.

2. Etymology: from Latin rapere, "to seize by force".

Back in the early 15th century, a person was called ravenous if he or she were greedy and obsessed with stealing, much like a pirate.

Now, it’s used more often to describe someone who has extreme hunger or desires.

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1. In the manner of someone who is starving: Aidan felt ravenously hungry.
2. Very eager or longing for food, satisfaction, or gratification: The birds were feeding ravenously after their long flight.

1. An excessive desire to eat: After the long hike, Trudy's ravenousness encouraged her to take more on her plate than she could actually eat at the lavish buffet.
2. Extreme voracity; rage for prey: The ravenousness of the wolf pack was studied by the park rangers to determine whether they were overkilling the other animals in the area.

1. Extreme hunger, voraciousness of appetite: After the drought and the rains, the ravins of the cattle were satisfied when the grass grew green along the river banks.
2. Victims of an attack; captives: The rabbits in the field were the ravins for the hawk cruising overhead.
3. An assault or capturing by violence or force: The ravin of the owl was observed and photographed from the bird blind by the ornithologist, Mr. Hayes.
4. The act of violently seizing something: The ravins of the beasts for blood and slaughter in that area were well-known.

1. A deep narrow valley or gorge in the earth's surface worn by running water: The ravine looked peaceful during dry weather, but was a raging torrent after a severe rainstorm.
2. Etymology: from about 1760, "deep gorge" came from French ravin, "a gully".

In 1690, from Old French raviner, "to hollow out"; and from French ravine, "violent rush of water, gully".

From Old French ravine, "violent rush, robbery, rapine"; both ultimately from Latin rapina. This sense is influenced by Latin rapidus "rapid".

In Middle English, from about 1350-1500, ravine meant "booty, plunder, robbery"; from Latin rapina, "robbery, plunder"; from rapere, "to seize, to carry off, to rob".

1. To take away forcefully or to seize: Ancient mythology is filled with stories of gods and godlike creatures ravishing mortals and carrying them away.
2. To force an individual into a sexual act against that person's will or desire: The police report noted that poor Celia had been ravished by a gang of unmerciful rebels.
3. To be highly emotional about something: Harriet was ravished by the view of the valley from the pinnacle of the mountain.
4. Etymology: from Middle English, "to seize, to take away by violence"; from Middle French raviss-, stem of ravir; ultimately from Latin rapere, "to seize, to rob".

1. Someone who seeks to violate or sexually assault another person: The gang of ravishers were caught by the police before they could ravish another victim.
2. Anyone who takes someone away by force or violence: Jack, the ravisher, was on horseback when he rode through the village and grabbed a young woman and rode away with her as she was screaming for help.

1. Descriptive of an extremity of delight: With a touch of moonlight, the city looked ravishingly lovely.
2. In a very engaging manner or degree or appearance: Sarah's ravishingly good looks charmed everyone who met her.

1. The act of seizing by force: The ravishment of the city streets by the mob was chronicled by a tourist using a cell phone camera.
2. Violent removal; such as, the act of carrying someone away by force or against his/her consent; abduction: The ravishment of the children from the village was devastating and many parents wanted to get revenge.
3. The forcible abduction of a woman; and so, the crime of forcing a woman to submit to sexual intercourse against her will: Mildred sought the safety of the shelter after the violent ravishment by her partner.
4. A feeling of bliss as a person is filled with wonder: The power of the painting was like a ravishment of her soul.

The act of obtaining something by stealth or secret methods: Shirley practiced surreption so she could get the photograph she wanted of the politician.

1. Referring to something that is accomplished or done by stealth or in a cautious way without anyone being aware of what is going on: Jacob made a surreptitious or a covert glance at a young woman.
2. Relating to an action that is done in a sneaky procedure in order to avoid notice: The cat approached the mouse in a surreptitious way so it could get close enough to catch the rodent.
3. Etymology: in about 1443, from Latin surrepticius, "stolen, furtive, secret, clandestine"; from surreptus, past participle of surripere, "to seize, to take away secretly, to steal".

The word is made up of two parts: sub, "from under" (secretly) + rapere, "to snatch, to seize".

© ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.