Definitions for devour
dɪˈvaʊrde·vour

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. devourverb

   destroy completely

   "Fire had devoured our home"

2. devourverb

   enjoy avidly

   "She devoured his novels"

3. devour, down, consume, go throughverb

   eat immoderately

   "Some people can down a pound of meat in the course of one meal"

4. devour, guttle, raven, pigverb

   eat greedily

   "he devoured three sandwiches"

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. devourverb

   To eat quickly, greedily, hungrily, or ravenously.

2. devourverb

   To rapidly destroy, engulf, or lay waste.

   The fire was devouring the building.

3. devourverb

   To take in avidly with the intellect.

   She intended to devour the book.

4. devourverb

   To absorb or engross the mind fully, especially in a destructive manner.

   After the death of his wife, he was devoured by grief.

5. Etymology: devourer, devorer (Modern French dévorer), from devoro, from voro.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. To DEVOURverb

   Etymology: devoro, Latin.

   1. To eat up ravenously, as a wild beast or animal of prey.

   We will say some evil beast hath devoured him Gen. xxxvii.

   We’ve willing dames enough: there cannot be
   That vulture in you to devour so many
   As will to greatness dedicate themselves,
   Finding it so inclin’d. William Shakespeare, Macbeth.

   So looks the pent up lion o’er the wretch
   That trembles under his devouring paws. William Shakespeare, Henry VI.

   2. To destroy or consume with rapidity and violence.

   A fire devoureth before them, and behind them a flame burneth. Joel ii. 3.

   How dire a tempest from Mycenæ pour’d,
   Our plains, our temples, and our town devour’d;
   It was the waste of war. John Dryden, Æn. b. viii.

   Notwithstanding that Socrates lived in the time of this devouring pestilence at Athens, he never caught the least infection. Joseph Addison, Spectator, №. 195.

   3. To swallow up; to annihilate.

   He seemed in swiftness to devour the way William Shakespeare.

   Such a pleasure as grows fresher upon enjoyment; and though continually fed upon, yet is never devoured. South.

   Death stalks behind thee, and each flying hour
   Does some loose remnant of thy life devour. Dryden.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:1.0 / 1 vote

1. Devourverb

   to eat up with greediness; to consume ravenously; to feast upon like a wild beast or a glutton; to prey upon

2. Devourverb

   to seize upon and destroy or appropriate greedily, selfishly, or wantonly; to consume; to swallow up; to use up; to waste; to annihilate

3. Devourverb

   to enjoy with avidity; to appropriate or take in eagerly by the senses

FreebaseRate this definition:4.0 / 1 vote

1. Devour

   Devour is a 2005 horror film directed by David Winkler.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Devour

   de-vowr′, v.t. to swallow greedily: to eat up: to consume or waste with violence or wantonness: to destroy: to gaze intently on.—n. Devour′er.—adj. Devour′ing.—adv. Devour′ingly.—n. Devour′ment. [O. Fr. devorer—L. devorāre—de, inten., and vorāre, to swallow. See Voracious.]

Matched Categories

1. • Destroy
   • Eat
   • Enjoy

How to pronounce devour?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say devour in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of devour in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of devour in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of devour in a Sentence

1. Victor Hugo, "Les Miserables":

   The peasants of the Asturias believe that in every litter of wolves there is one pup that is killed by the mother for fear that on growing up it would devour the other little ones.

2. Andy Berry:

   Beyond Burger have meatless products on the market that could be difficult for people to distinguish from actual meat. However, Americans are eating more meat than they have in more than a decade. The average American meat-eater is set to devour nearly 221.5 pounds of meat this year alone, according to the USDA. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Bill Pigott, a Republican Mississippi state representative and a member of the Cattlemens Association, said Bill Pigott aim in writing Mississippis version of the law was to make sure it was clear consumers knew what theyre buying. This was asked for by the cattle producers in Mississippi to clarify labeling laws, Bill Pigott said. [ Its ] not to stop any sale of any products, just allowing the consumer to know what theyre actually consuming. Bill Pigott said there was nothing wrong with Bill Pigott sponsoring the law -- though Bill Pigott is still a member of the Mississippi Cattlemens Association, Bill Pigott has retired from cattle production and would not personally benefit from the law.In a search of public records, Fox could not find any lobbying efforts or financial ties between Bill Pigott and Cattlemens Association. The Institute for Justice said consumers are savvy enough to understand what The Institute for Justice clients labels clearly state. Customers understand that 100percent vegan, means 100 percent vegan, attorney Justin Pearson said. The Institute for Justice not the governments job to sway consumers one way or the other. Customers get to decide what food they want to eat. Uptons Naturals said Uptons Naturals wasnt clear how much Uptons Naturals would cost the company to re-package Uptons Naturals products if the meat labeling prohibition is upheld in Mississippi. Uptons Naturals would have to consider Uptons Naturals options. Cattlemens Association said the right to choose would still be alive and well for consumers, but appropriate labels would make things much clearer. Cattlemens Association doesnt ban anybody from selling anything theyre selling now.

3. Proverb:

   The rich devour the poor, and the devil devours the rich and so both are devoured.

4. Luigi Barzini:

   They eat the dainty food of gamous chefs with the same pleasure with which they devour gross peasant dishes, mostly composed of garlic and tomatoes, or fisherman's octopus and shrimps, fried in heavily scented olive oil on a little deserted beach.

5. Charles de LEUSSE:

   We want the qualities of fools that our faults devour, then us. (Nous voulons qualités des fous - Que nos défauts dévorent, puis nous.) [Fables1, The Cheetah / Le Guépard]

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