Definition of Raven

1. Noun. Large black bird with a straight bill and long wedge-shaped tail.

Exact synonyms: Corvus Corax
Generic synonyms: Corvine Bird
Group relationships: Corvus, Genus Corvus

2. Verb. Obtain or seize by violence.
Generic synonyms: Seize

3. Verb. Prey on or hunt for. "These mammals predate certain eggs"
Exact synonyms: Predate, Prey
Generic synonyms: Forage
Derivative terms: Predation, Predation, Prey

4. Verb. Eat greedily. "They raven more bread"; "He devoured three sandwiches"
Exact synonyms: Devour, Guttle, Pig
Generic synonyms: Eat
Derivative terms: Pig

5. Verb. Feed greedily. "The lions ravened the bodies"
Generic synonyms: Eat, Feed

Definition of Raven

1. n. A large black passerine bird (Corvus corax), similar to the crow, but larger. It is native of the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and America, and is noted for its sagacity.

2. a. Of the color of the raven; jet black; as, raven curls; raven darkness.

3. n. Rapine; rapacity.

4. v. t. To obtain or seize by violence.

5. v. i. To prey with rapacity; to be greedy; to show rapacity.

Definition of Raven

1. Proper noun. (English female given name) for a girl with raven hair, used since the 1970s. ¹

2. Noun. A common name for several, generally large and lustrous black species of birds in the genus ''Corvus'', especially the common raven, ''Corvus corax''. ¹

3. Adjective. Of the color of the raven; jet-black ¹

4. Noun. Rapine; rapacity. ¹

5. Noun. Prey; plunder; food obtained by violence. ¹

6. Verb. (archaic) To obtain or seize by violence. ¹

7. Verb. To devour with great eagerness. ¹

8. Verb. To prey with rapacity; to be greedy; to show rapacity. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Raven

1. to eat in a ravenous manner [v -ED, -ING, -S]

Medical Definition of Raven

1. A large black passerine bird (Corvus corax), similar to the crow, but larger. It is native of the northern part of Europe, Asia and America, and is noted for its sagacity. Sea raven, the cormorant. Origin: AS. Hraefn; akin to raaf, G. Rabe, OHG. Hraban, Icel. Hrafn, Dan. Ravn, and perhaps to L. Corvus, Gr. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Raven

ravelers
ravelin
raveling
ravelings
ravelins
ravell'd
ravelled
raveller
ravellers
ravelling
ravellings
ravelly
ravelment
ravelments
ravels
raven (current term)
raven's duck
raven-haired
ravenala
ravenalas
ravened
ravener
raveners
ravening
raveningly
ravenings
ravenlike
ravenous
ravenously
ravenousness

Literary usage of Raven

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Cyclopedia of American Literature: Embracing Personal and Critical Notices by Evert Augustus Duyckinck, George Long Duyckinck (1856)
"Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore— Quoth the ... But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only That one word, ..."

2. The Journal of American Folk-lore by American Folklore Society (1920)
"raven watched where Kanu'gu obtained the water, and saw that it was kept in a ... When raven had taken a mouthful, he went out and deliberated what to do. ..."

3. St. Nicholas by Mary Mapes Dodge (1895)
"One of the sportsmen had said that he would give $10 for a perfect specimen of a raven to put in his collection of stuffed birds; and the remembrance of ..."

4. American Anthropologist by American Anthropological Association (1902)
"People living in darkness mistrust and mock the raven, notwithstanding his promise to get the ... The wives of the raven request him to show his tongue, ..."

5. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable: Giving the Derivation, Source, Or Origin of by Ebenezer Cobham Brewer (1898)
"The former notion arises from their following an army under the expectation of finding dead bodies to raven on : the latter notion is a mere offshoot of the ..."

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