devour

verb de·vour \ di-ˈvau̇(-ə)r , dē- \

|Updated on: 10 Aug 2018

Examples: devour in a Sentence

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

Wildfires have also been raging in Colorado, where the Spring Fire alone has devoured an area larger than the size of Detroit, leaving 100 homes destroyed.

— CBS News, "Massive blaze threatening more than 1,400 buildings in Northern California grows," 5 July 2018
Protect plants and trees: Use screens and cages to keep iguanas from devouring landscaping and gardens.

— doreen christensen, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Expert tips on how to control iguanas," 21 June 2018
People devoured it, and out of that came TV series on three networks.

— The Economist, "Anthony Bourdain committed suicide on June 8th," 16 June 2018
This is a quintessential street snack; skewers of vegetables and meat are plunged into a pot of spicy oil and ready to be devoured on the go.

— christina liao, Vogue, "All the Szechuan Food You Should Try in Chengdu, China," 5 June 2018
Sudo devoured 37 franks and buns to take home the top prize for an unprecedented fifth consecutive year.

— CBS News, "Joey Chestnut devours record 74 hot dogs for 11th win at Nathan's Famous contest," 4 July 2018
The fastest growing supermassive black hole known to exist, for example, could devour the Sun in two days.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Scientists Witness Aftermath of a Black Hole Destroying a Star," 15 June 2018
There, bacteria devour it with unpleasant results, like diarrhea, gas, and cramping.

— Allure, "Do Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, or Low-Carb Diets Actually Work?," 16 May 2018
In any event, a book by the real Nakamoto would be devoured by Bitcoin enthusiasts around the world.

— Fortune, "Unknown Bitcoin Creator Satoshi Nakamoto Might Be Writing a Book," 30 June 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

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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.