- rapacious
- \ \ see RAPTURE
Word origins - 2ed. J. Ayto. 2005.
rapacious
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Rapacious — Ra*pa cious (r[.a]*p[=a] sh[u^]s), a. [L. rapax, acis, from rapere to seize and carry off, to snatch away. See {Rapid}.] [1913 Webster] 1. Given to plunder; disposed or accustomed to seize by violence; seizing by force. The downfall of the… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
rapacious — I adjective avaricious, avidus, cormorant, depredatory, devouring, grasping, greedy, insatiable, insatiate, living on prey, lupine, marauding, pillaging, piratical, plundering, predacious, predatory, preying, rapax, ravening, ravenous, voracious … Law dictionary
rapacious — (adj.) 1650s, from L. rapaci , stem of rapax grasping, from rapere (see RAPACITY (Cf. rapacity)) + OUS (Cf. ous). Related: Rapaciously; rapaciousness … Etymology dictionary
rapacious — ravening, ravenous, gluttonous, *voracious Analogous words: ferocious, *fierce: greedy, grasping, *covetous … New Dictionary of Synonyms
rapacious — [adj] plundering avaricious, ferocious, furious, greedy, marauding, murderous, predatory, preying, ravening, ravenous, savage, voracious; concepts 326,403,406,542 … New thesaurus
rapacious — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ aggressively greedy. DERIVATIVES rapaciously adverb rapaciousness noun rapacity noun. ORIGIN from Latin rapax, from rapere to snatch … English terms dictionary
rapacious — [rə pā′shəs] adj. [< L rapax (gen. rapacis) < rapere, to seize (see RAPE1) + OUS] 1. taking by force; plundering 2. greedy or grasping; voracious 3. living on captured prey; predatory rapaciously adv. rapacity [rə pas′ə … English World dictionary
rapacious — [[t]rəpe͟ɪʃəs[/t]] ADJ GRADED: usu ADJ n (disapproval) If you describe a person or their behaviour as rapacious, you disapprove of their greedy or selfish behaviour. [FORMAL] He had a rapacious appetite for bird s nest soup... The oil fields have … English dictionary
rapacious — adjective /rəˈpeɪ.ʃəs/ a) Voracious; avaricious. To presume a want of motives for such contests [of power between states] as an argument against their existence, would be to forget that men are ambitious, vindictive, and rapacious. b) Given to… … Wiktionary
rapacious — ra|pa|cious [ rə peıʃəs ] adjective VERY FORMAL never satisfied until you have taken everything that you can take: Rapacious developers soon bought up the land. rapacious appetites ╾ ra|pa|cious|ly adverb ╾ ra|pa|cious|ness noun uncount ╾… … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
rapacious — UK [rəˈpeɪʃəs] / US adjective very formal never satisfied until you have taken everything that you can take Rapacious developers soon bought up the land. rapacious appetites Derived words: rapaciously adverb rapaciousness noun uncountable… … English dictionary
