Emily Dickinson Lexicon

RA'VEN, n.¹ [ra'vn; Sax. hræfn, hrefn or ræfn; G. rabe; D. raaf; Qu. Heb. ערב, from its color. But this maybe L. corvus. The Saxon orthography would indicate that this fowl is named from pilfering; hreafian, reafian, to plunder, to rob, L. rapio.]

A large fowl of a black color, of the genus Corvus. – Encyc.

RAV'EN, n.² [ra'vn.]

1. Prey; plunder; food obtained by vice fence. – Nah. ii.
2. Rapine; rapacity. – Ray.

RAV'EN, v.i. [rav'n.]

To prey with rapacity. Benjamin shall raven as a wolf. – Gen. xlix.

RAV'EN, v.t. [rav'n; G. rauben; Dan. röver; Sw. roffa, rofva, to rob; Sax. reafian, hreafian. But it is more nearly allied to رَفً raffa, to eat much, to pluck off in feeding. Class Rb, No. 12. See No. 18, 19, 34.]

1. To devour with great eagerness; to eat with voracity. Our natures do pursue, / Like rats that raven down their proper bane, / A thirsty evil, and when we drink, we die. – Shak. Like a roaring lion ravening the prey. – Ezek. xxii.
2. To obtain by violence.

RAV'EN-ED, pp.

Devoured with voracity.

RAV'EN-ER, n.

1. One that ravens or plunders. – Gower.
2. An order of fowls; as the owl, kite, hawk and vultur. – Kirby.

RAV'EN-ING, n.

Eagerness for plunder. – Luke xi.

RAV'EN-ING, ppr.

Preying with rapacity; voraciously devouring; as, a ravening wolf.

RAV'EN-OUS, a.

1. Furiously voracious; hungry even to rage; devouring with rapacious eagerness; as, a ravenous wolf, lion or vultur. – Milton.
2. Eager for prey or gratification; as, ravenous appetite or desire. – Shak.

RAV'EN-OUS-LY, adv.

With raging voracity. – Burnet.

RAV'EN-OUS-NESS, n.

Extreme voracity; rage for prey; as, the ravenousness of a lion. – Hale.

RA'VEN'S-DUCK, n. [G. ravenstuch.]

A species of sail cloth. – Tooke.

RAV-ER, n. [from rave.]

One that raves or is furious.

RAV'ET, n.

An insect shaped like a cockchaffer, which infests the West Indies. – Encyc.

RAV'IN, a.

Ravenous. [Not in use.] – Shak.

RAV'IN, or RA-VINE, n. [Fr. ravin, from ravir, to snatch or tear away.]

A long deep hollow worn by a stream or torrent of water; hence, any long deep hollow or pass through mountains, &c.

RAV'IN, n. [or v. See RAVEN.]

RAV'ING, ppr. [or adj.]

Furious with delirium; mad; distracted.

RAV'ING-LY, adv.

With furious wildness or frenzy; with distraction. – Sidney.

RAV'ISH, v.t. [Fr. ravir; Arm. raviçza; Sax. hreafian; W. rheibiaw; L. rapio. See Class Rb, No. 18, 19, 26, 27.]

1. To seize and carry away by violence. These hairs which thou dost ravish from my chin, / Will quicken and accuse thee. – Shak. This hand shall ravish thy pretended right. – Dryden.
2. To have carnal knowledge of a woman by force and against her consent. – Is. xiii. Zech. xiv.
3. To bear away with joy or delight; to delight to ecstasy; to transport. Thou hast ravished my heart. – Cant. iv. Prov. v.

RAV'ISH-ED, pp.

Snatched away by violence; forced to submit to carnal embrace; delighted to ecstasy.

RAV'ISH-ER, n.

1. One that takes by violence. – Pope.
2. One that forces a woman to his carnal embrace.
3. One that transports with delight.

RAV'ISH-ING, n.

1. A seizing and carrying away by violence; a carnal knowledge by force against consent.
2. Ecstatic delight; transport.

RAV'ISH-ING, ppr.

1. Snatching or taking by violence; compelling to submit to carnal intercourse; delighting to ecstasy.
2. adj. Delighting to rapture; transporting.

RAV'ISH-ING-LY, adv.

To extremity of delight. – Chapman.