Category:Devour

De*vour", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Devoured; p. pr. & vb. n. Devouring.] Etym: [F. dévorer, fr. L. devorare; de + vorare to eat greedily, swallow up. See Voracious.]

1. To eat up with greediness; to consume ravenously; to feast upon like a wild beast or a glutton; to prey upon. Some evil beast hath devoured him. Gen. xxxvii. 20.

2. To seize upon and destroy or appropriate greedily, selfishly, or wantonly; to consume; to swallow up; to use up; to waste; to annihilate. Famine and pestilence shall devour him. Ezek. vii. 15. I waste my life and do my days devour. Spenser.

3. To enjoy with avidity; to appropriate or take in eagerly by the senses. Longing they look, and gaping at the sight, Devour her o'er with vast delight. Dryden.

Syn. -- To consume; waste; destroy; annihilate.