raven

ra·ven | \ ˈrā-vən

How to pronounce raven (audio)

\

Definition of raven

(Entry 1 of 3)

: a large, glossy-black bird (Corvus corax) that is widely distributed in northern parts of the northern hemisphere but now rare in most areas of the eastern and central U.S. and that differs from the closely related common crow chiefly in its larger size and wedge-shaped tail and in having the feathers of the throat narrow and pointed resulting in a shaggy appearance also : any of various usually large and glossy black, corvine birds

raven

Definition of raven (Entry 2 of 3)

: shiny and black like a raven's feathers raven hair

raven

rav·en | \ ˈra-vən

How to pronounce raven (audio)

\

ravened; ravening\ ˈra-və-niŋ

How to pronounce ravening (audio)

, ˈrav-niŋ \

Definition of raven (Entry 3 of 3)

intransitive verb

1 : to feed greedily

2 : to prowl for food : prey

transitive verb

1 : to devour greedily

2 : despoil men … raven the earth, destroying its resources — New Yorker

Other Words from raven Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about raven

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Examples of raven in a Sentence

Adjective a black satin dress that matches her silky, raven hair Verb the rat ravened the poisoned bait just as we had hoped

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The herders watch the birds, the snow buntings and ptarmigans, the ravens and bluethroats. — Juliana Hanle, Scientific American, "The Fight for the Reindeer," 18 Nov. 2019 There was a yellow-throated vireo near Nantucket’s West End and a common raven by the Old Sconset Golf Course. — BostonGlobe.com, "Most read on BostonGlobe.com," 10 Nov. 2019 The name comes from the legend of the Tower Ravens, which says that if the six ravens ever leave the Tower of London, the country will fall. — Jason Fanelli, The Hollywood Reporter, "Esports Arena: Blizzard Cancels 'Overwatch' Event Amid China Controversy," 16 Oct. 2019 There are natural predators such as foxes, coyotes and eagles, and ravens and gulls get eggs and some colts. — John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, "You can hunt sandhill cranes, or you can just stand there and watch them in awe," 1 Oct. 2019 Play—or scientifically speaking, voluntary recreational activity—is widespread in the animal kingdom, with dolphins, cats, dogs, otters, ravens and even crocodiles engaging in forms of play. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Rats Learned to Play Hide and Seek to Help Study the Brain," 13 Sep. 2019 On the world stage, Justin Trudeau is living proof that getting a Haida raven tattoo on your shoulder will not harm your chances of becoming a head of state. — Brennan Kilbane, WSJ, "You’re Not Too Old for a Tattoo," 25 July 2018 In optimum conditions during this peak migratory time, participants will see several hawk species, eagles, vultures and ravens. — courant.com, "Community News For The Farmington Valley Edition," 30 Aug. 2019 Nantucket had its first August record of a hooded warbler which was seen at Jackson Point, and its third record of common raven which was seen in multiple locations. — BostonGlobe.com, "Bird sightings across the region," 26 Aug. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Then there is the pileated woodpecker, big as an owl and raven black, except for its white wing bars and the scarlet and white head markings. — Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, "The percussive appeal of the woodpecker," 17 July 2019 Needless to say, Jimin's latest raven-haired reveal for the tour provided some serendipity for ARMYs (and a break for his scalp). — Devon Abelman, Allure, "BTS's Jimin Just Dyed His Hair Black for the First Stop of the U.S. Stadium Tour," 6 May 2019 The shadow of a witch materializes on a wall, which parts to reveal a glamorous, raven-haired woman (Rachel Oliveros Catalano) in an iridescent green gown. — Daryl H. Miller, latimes.com, "Review: A life told in tall tales; 'Big Fish' at the Chance Theater," 12 July 2018 Two other eagles joined in the dive-bombing of the sow while a raven dive-bombed the flying eagles. — Anchorage Daily News, "Katmai National Park drama: Bear vs. Eagles," 16 June 2018 The Danish model and actress, 54, gave PEOPLE an exclusive look at the little raven-haired beauty, who arrived safely in a Los Angeles hospital on Friday, June 22, weighing 5 lbs. — Gillian Telling, PEOPLE.com, "Meet Frida! Brigitte Nielsen, 54, Shares a Sneak Peek at Her Newborn Baby Girl," 27 June 2018 Perhaps at one point, these two raven species developed distinct appearances, vocalizations or mating displays. — Talia Richman, baltimoresun.com, "Two species of ravens? Nevermore, quoth the UMBC professor," 1 May 2018 The petite, raven-haired designer Tatiana Baibabaeva seems to be living a globe-spanning fairytale that will, if everything goes according to plan, soon land her in sun-swept Mallorca keeping shop with her husband. — Vogue, "Tatiana Baibabaeva Is Infusing Slow Fashion with Sensuality, One Macramé Dress at a Time," 31 May 2018 That's so not raven (@thicknpetite_) May 18, 2018 Oh... — Stephen Daw, Billboard, "'RuPaul's Drag Race:' Gay Twitter Reacts to Last Night's Shocking 'Lip Sync For Your Life'," 18 May 2018 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Not just use tools — ravens use tools, and chimps use tools. — John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, "Being called a ‘bird brain’ might not be the insult you think it is," 29 Aug. 2019 In tarnished silver light the royal ravens spoke la langue verte, the green tongue of living speech. — L. S. Asekoff, Harper's magazine, "Sundowner," 19 Aug. 2019 Law Enforcement on the Cheap Outside Kiana City Hall, ravens pinwheeled above the trees on a weekday afternoon in March. — Kyle Hopkins, ProPublica, "ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network," 16 May 2019 This far from base reality, the haywire way that things go—Rhea’s death, the narrow and fragile window of our moment in all the cold eons, even Little Sister ravening to survive—make a kind of sense now. — Smith Henderson, Popular Mechanics, "Olympia," 20 Nov. 2017 There were a few pence to be made in telling tall tales — about the gallows and queens on the chopping block and ravens, too. — William Booth, The Seattle Times, "The secrets of the royal ravenmaster at the Tower of London," 26 Oct. 2018 Less dramatic, but no less valued in some quarters, ravens serve to aid in the clean-up of our Alaska roadsides. — John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, "Some words on birds and their impact on Alaska and the rest of the world," 24 June 2018 The series shifts to Oakland, Calif., and its ravening crowd for Game 3. — Michael Powell, New York Times, "Rockets vs. Warriors: The Dead Live Again in Houston," 17 May 2018 The penultimate episode of season seven took some heat in terms of the practicalities of travel — the speed with which ravens and dragons could fly between Dragonstone and the realm beyond the Wall, for instance. — Josh Wigler, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Game of Thrones' Star on the Final Season: "It's Going to Hit Hard"," 19 Dec. 2017

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

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Last Updated

22 Nov 2019

Cite this Entry

“Raven.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ravens. Accessed 22 November 2019.

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More Definitions for raven

raven

noun

English Language Learners Definition of raven

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a bird that has shiny black feathers and looks like a crow but is larger

raven

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of raven (Entry 2 of 2)

literary : shiny and black

See the full definition for raven in the English Language Learners Dictionary

raven

ra·ven | \ ˈrā-vən

\

Kids Definition of raven

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a large shiny black bird that is larger than the related crow

raven

Kids Definition of raven (Entry 2 of 2)

: shiny and black like a raven's feathers

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heterodox

not agreeing with established beliefs

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