Definitions for rapacious
rəˈpeɪ ʃəsra·pa·cious

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:1.0 / 1 vote

1. predatory, rapacious, raptorial, ravening, vulturine, vulturousadjective

   living by preying on other animals especially by catching living prey

   "a predatory bird"; "the rapacious wolf"; "raptorial birds"; "ravening wolves"; "a vulturine taste for offal"

2. rapacious, ravening, voraciousadjective

   excessively greedy and grasping

   "a rapacious divorcee on the prowl"; "ravening creditors"; "paying taxes to voracious governments"

3. edacious, esurient, rapacious, ravening, ravenous, voracious, wolfishadjective

   devouring or craving food in great quantities

   "edacious vultures"; "a rapacious appetite"; "ravenous as wolves"; "voracious sharks"

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. rapaciousadjective

   Voracious; avaricious.

2. rapaciousadjective

   Given to taking by force or plundering.

3. rapaciousadjective

   Subsisting off live prey.

4. Etymology: Perhaps from rapacity + -ous, in any case ultimately from rapax.

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

1. RAPACIOUSadjective

   Given to plunder; seizing by violence.

   Etymology: rapace, Fr. rapax, Lat.

   Well may thy Lord, appeas’d,
   Redeem thee quite from death’s rapacious claim. John Milton.

   Shall this prize,
   Soon heighten’d by the diamond’s circling rays,
   On that rapacious hand for ever blaze? Alexander Pope.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Rapaciousadjective

   given to plunder; disposed or accustomed to seize by violence; seizing by force

2. Rapaciousadjective

   accustomed to seize food; subsisting on prey, or animals seized by violence; as, a tiger is a rapacious animal; a rapacious bird

3. Rapaciousadjective

   avaricious; grasping; extortionate; also, greedy; ravenous; voracious; as, rapacious usurers; a rapacious appetite

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

1. Rapacious

   ra-pā′shus, adj. seizing by violence: given to plunder: ravenous: greedy of gain.—n. Rapā′ces, the beasts and birds of prey.—adv. Rapā′ciously.—ns. Rapā′ciousness, Rapac′ity, the quality of being rapacious: ravenousness: extortion. [L. rapax, rapacis—rapĕre, raptum, to seize and carry off.]

EntomologyRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Rapacious

   predatory; capturing and eating prey.

How to pronounce rapacious?

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 rapacious in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of rapacious in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of rapacious in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of rapacious in a Sentence

1. Niccolo Machiavelli:

   War is a profession by which a man cannot live honorably; an employment by which the soldier, if he would reap any profit, is obliged to be false, rapacious, and cruel.

2. Clark Ballew:

   We felt like paid sick time off was an important omissionand not an especially rapacious ask, because of the 60 vote threshold in the Senate, we also know who likely cast a token vote in our favor yesterday because they knew they were insolated from its passage. There was buffer room there for certain politicians who have never supportedour cause before to get a ‘freebie’ there, but railroaders are not dumb. We see that kind of deception everyday from our bosses on the railroad; we don't fall for that.

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