Definition of ravenously

The word "ravenously" has its roots in the 14th century. It is derived from the Old French word "revenez", which means "to regain" or "to recover". This sense of regaining or recovering is tied to the gods of old, particularly the god of the underworld, who was often depicted as devouring and regaining life or consuming the dead. The word "raven" was later added to the French word to create the adjective "rave" in English, which means intensely hungry. Over time, the suffix "-ously" was added to create the verb "to raven", meaning to gobble up or devour greedily. The adjective "ravenously" emerged in the 16th century, originally meaning greedily or voraciously. Today, it is used to describe behavior or actions performed with a strong sense of hunger or desire.