Emily Dickinson Lexicon

DE-VOUR', v.t. [L. devoro; de and voro, to eat; It. vorare, divorare; Sp. devorar; Fr. devorer; Arm. devori; W. pori, to feed; Gr. βορα, pasture; Heb. Ch. בער, to consume. Class Br, No. 6.]

1. To eat up; to eat with greediness; to eat ravenously, as a beast of prey, or as a hungry man. We will say, some evil beast hath devoured him. – Gen. xxxvii. In the morning he shall devour the prey. – Gen. xlix.
2. To destroy; to consume with rapidity and violence. I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Ben-Hadad. – Amos i. Famine and pestilence shall devour him. – Ezek. vii.
3. To destroy; to annihilate; to consume. He seemed in swiftness to devour the way. – Shak.
4. To waste; to consume; to spend in dissipation and riot. As soon as this thy son had come, who hath devoured thy living with harlots. – Luke xv.
5. To consume wealth and substance by fraud, oppression, or illegal exactions. Ye devour widows' houses. – Math. xxiii.
6. To destroy spiritually; to ruin the soul. Your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. – 1 Pet. v.
7. To slay. The sword shall devour the young lions. – Nah. ii.
8. To enjoy with avidity. Longing they look, and gaping at the sight, / Devour her o'er and o'er with vast delight. – Dryden.