ravenouslyadv.
/ˈravn̩əsli/, /ˈravənəsli/, U.S. /ˈræv(ə)nəsli/ In a ravenous manner; esp. voraciously, greedily.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > eating > processes or manners of eating > [adverb] > eating voraciously
greedilyc1000
frecklyc1275
ravenously?a1425
frechedlyc1450
raveningly1533
devouringly1552
locust-like1596
gulchingly1598
greedy1599
voraciously1752
the mind > will > wish or inclination > desire > inordinate or excessive desire > [adverb] > rapaciously
rapaciously1642
ravenouslya1715
?a1425 Chron. Papacy 67 in Jrnl. Eng. & Germanic Philol. (1942) 41 177 (MED) [He] raveynosely toke þe popehode bi þe miȝt of men of Fraunce.
c1437 Chancery Petitions (Public Rec. Office) Ser. CP1 File 12 No. 156 (MED) John Hoton grete parcell of the saide bestes ymonge the saide mysdoers..yave and departid, and parcell of the same bestes ther ymonge hem rauenously ete.
c1487 J. Skelton tr. Diodorus Siculus Bibliotheca Historica iv. 332 A myghty lyon..with crampisshed teeth sharply enarmed, rauenously rampaunt.
1538 T. Elyot Dict. Lurco, to eate rauenously.
1556 J. Standish Triall Supremacy sig. R7v Ye smal duties iustly payed to Rome (smal I say & yt most truely if they be compared to ye intollerable exactions rauenously extorted since).
1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Gloutement, gluttonously, rauenously, greedily.
1660 C. Ellis Gentile Sinner iv. 187 It heartily grieves me..to see them [sc. the Gentry]..so ravenously greedy of eternall destruction, as thus to swallow it down by whole Bowles.
a1715 Bp. G. Burnet Hist. Own Time (1724) I. 245 She..lived at a vast expence, and was ravenously covetous.
1760 ‘Uxorius’ Hymen xxviii. 201 The victuals they left the day before are again set before them. They cram ravenously.
1791 J. Boswell Life Johnson anno 1778 II. 223 Dr. Johnson..seemed to read it ravenously as if he devoured it.
1839 C. Darwin in R. Fitzroy & C. Darwin Narr. Surv. Voy. H.M.S. Adventure & Beagle III. x. 221 It began ravenously to tear a piece of carrion.
1872 ‘M. Twain’ Roughing It vii. 69 She snatched it, swallowed it ravenously, and asked for more!
1907 G. B. Shaw Major Barbara ii. in John Bull's Other Island 217 Shirley (looking at it ravenously but not touching it..).
1951 C. S. Lewis Prince Caspian iii. 37 He would have made much more fuss about this if he had not by now been so ravenously hungry.
1998 S. Lawrence Montenegro 262 When the meat was ready they ate together, she as ravenously as he.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2008; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adv.?a1425