devour

verb de·vour \ di-ˈvau̇(-ə)r , dē- \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of devour

transitive verb

1 : to eat up greedily or ravenously

devoured the turkey and mashed potatoes

2 : to use up or destroy as if by eating

We are devouring the world's resources.

3 : to prey upon

devoured by guilt

4 : to enjoy avidly

devours books

—

devourer

noun

See devour defined for English-language learners

See devour defined for kids

Examples of devour in a Sentence

He devoured everything on his plate.
The lions devoured their prey.
She devoured every golf magazine she could find.
He watched intently, devouring the scene before him with his eyes.

Recent Examples of devour from the Web

Trauma is a time traveller, an ouroboros that reaches back and devours everything that came before.

— keith gessen, The New Yorker, "The Silence: The Legacy of Childhood Trauma," 10 Apr. 2018
In hip-hop, artists have been devoured by expectations.

— stereo williams, Billboard, "The 10 Most-Anticipated Debut Albums in Hip-Hop History," 5 Apr. 2018
And lawmakers have their hands full in the remaining days completing the arduous and obligatory task of passing a 2018-20 state budget that’s bound to be austere as limited state revenues are being devoured by soaring pension obligations.

— tom loftus, The Courier-Journal, "Bevin's relationship with GOP lawmakers hits bottom at key point in his governorship," 20 Mar. 2018
Often the dogs are treated badly before they are devoured.

— michael heaton, cleveland.com, "A smart book about dumb sayings: Minister of Culture," 14 Mar. 2018
Bushwood trims its spare ribs to index finger lengths ($15 for a half rack, $25 for a full, $3 individually), a cut dainty enough that they can be devoured without the saucy mess.

— chuck blount, San Antonio Express-News, "52 Weeks of BBQ: Bushwood BBQ," 9 Mar. 2018
Find a cabin next to a snowy mountain in the dead of winter, make a big pot of khash, and devour it with your best friends.

— benjamin kemper, Smithsonian, "A Brief History of Khash, Armenia’s Love-It-or-Hate-It Hangover Cure (Recipe)," 27 Feb. 2018
Or why a platter of honey barbecue wings get devoured instantly.

— alex delany, Bon Appetit, "Hot Honey Butter Is the Answer, Whatever the Question," 26 Jan. 2018
Each week, the two culture mavens devour the entertainment news of the week and revisit the cultural touchstones that impacted their lives with guests like Rachel Bloom and Phoebe Robinson.

— eliana dockterman, Time, "The 50 Best Podcasts to Listen to Right Now," 30 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'devour.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of devour

Middle English, from Anglo-French devour-, stem of devorer, from Latin devorare, from de- + vorare to devour — more at voracious

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

devour Synonyms

Phrases

run out of;

DEVOUR Defined for Kids

devour

verb de·vour \ di-ˈvau̇r \

Definition of devour for Students

devoured; devouring

1 : to eat up hungrily

2 : to take in eagerly by the senses or mind

He devoured the information.

3 : to destroy as if by eating

The buildings were devoured by flames.

Word Root of devour

The Latin word vorāre, meaning “to eat greedily,” gives us the root vor. Words from the Latin vorāre have something to do with eating. An herbivorous animal eats only plants. A carnivorous animal eats only other animals. To devour is to eat up greedily. Anyone voracious likes to eat a lot.