devour

[dih-vou-^uhr, -vou-er]

verb (used with object)

1. to swallow or eat up hungrily, voraciously, or ravenously.

2. to consume destructively, recklessly, or wantonly.

   Fire devoured the old museum.

3. to engulf or swallow up.

4. to take in greedily with the senses or intellect.

   to devour the works of Freud.

5. to absorb or engross wholly.

   a mind devoured by fears.

devour

/ dɪˈvaʊə /

verb

1. to swallow or eat up greedily or voraciously

2. to waste or destroy; consume

   the flames devoured the curtains

3. to consume greedily or avidly with the senses or mind

   he devoured the manuscripts

4. to engulf or absorb

   the flood devoured the land

Other Word Forms

• devourer noun
• devouring adjective
• devouringly adverb
• devouringness noun
• interdevour verb (used with object)
• predevour verb (used with object)
• redevour verb (used with object)
• self-devouring adjective
• undevoured adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of devour¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English devouren, from Anglo-French, Old French devourer, from Latin dēvorāre “to swallow down,” from dē- de- + vorāre “to eat up”

Word History and Origins

Origin of devour¹

C14: from Old French devourer, from Latin dēvorāre to gulp down, from _de- + vorāre to consume greedily; see _voracious

Example Sentences

But as a music nerd, who'd devoured back issues of NME magazine as a teenager, she knew what came next: The second album slump.

From BBC

His father, Charles Sr., took the family on weekly outings to the Santa Monica Public Library, where young “Charlie” devoured Greek mythology.

From Los Angeles Times

We’ll devour “Love Island” and then do impressions for each other.

From Los Angeles Times

But that was followed by a long stretch in limbo, with albums and tours that were devoured by hardcore fans, without crossing over to the mainstream.

From BBC

After, they’d race back up the hill to devour the usual breakfast of egg whites — sometimes mashing in bananas for sweetness.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• absorb 
• destroy 
• eat 
• exhaust 
• feed on www.thesaurus.com
• go through 
• gobble 
• ingest 
• inhale 
• ravage 
• use up 
• wipe out