Devour | Definition of devour by Merriam-Webster

Definition of DEVOUR

transitive verb

1

: to eat up greedily or ravenously

2

: to use up or destroy as if by eating <we are devouring the world's resources>

3

: to prey upon <devoured by guilt>

4

: to enjoy avidly <devours books>

— de·vour·er noun

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Origin of DEVOUR

Middle English, from Anglo-French devour-, stem of devorer, from Latin devorare, from de- + vorare to devour — more at voracious

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to DEVOUR

Synonyms: consume, eat (up)

Antonyms: renew, replace

Definition of DEVOUR for Kids

1

: to eat up hungrily

2

: to take in eagerly by the senses or mind <He devoured the information.>

3

: to destroy as if by eating <The buildings were devoured by flames.>

Word Root of DEVOUR

The Latin word vorāre, meaning “to eat greedily,” gives us the root vor. Words from the Latin vorāre have something to do with eating. An herbivorous animal eats only plants. A carnivorous animal eats only other animals. To devour is to eat up greedily. Anyone voracious likes to eat a lot.

Learn More About DEVOUR

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for "devour"

Spanish Central: Spanish translation of "devour"

Nglish: Translation of "devour" for Spanish speakers

Britannica English: Translation of "devour" for Arabic speakers

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