devour

verb

de·​vour di-ˈvau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce devour (audio)
dē-
devoured; devouring; devours

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

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 on the Web While their slimy coatings deter some would-be-predators, raccoons, opossums, snakes, moles, toads, shrews, turtles, ground beetles, and birds, such as ducks, starlings, and thrushes, devour them with gusto. Paul Richards, Field & Stream, 29 Feb. 2024 Smoke poured from windows and doorways as fire devoured a residential home lining a main street of what is now known as one of Germany’s biggest cities. Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2024 In a city where even speed humps can trigger dyspepsia, the prospect of reimagining the low-slung U street NW property — one everyone agrees is unsightly — is driving a fierce debate that’s devouring hours of public hearings and clogging up neighborhood email lists. Paul Schwartzman, Washington Post, 20 Feb. 2024 Here again this theme of a devouring likeness resurfaces, the twin that spells death. Aatish Taseer, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2024 Or head to Lowcountry Produce, housed in Beaufort’s former City Hall, to devour Southern staples like the Biscuit, Gravy & Egg ($8.75) and Shrimp & Grits ($13.95). Sallie Funderburk, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 My feet are throbbing, and my head is giddily swimming with images of Dalí’s mind-bending paintings, fantastical shapes of Chihuly glass, and murals portraying everything from pressing social issues to a ginormous shark ready to devour passersby. Angela Caraway-Carlton, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2024 The black hole powering the quasar devours the equivalent of one sun per day and has a mass about 17 billion times that of our sun, the researchers found. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 21 Feb. 2024 Kimmel, allegedly using accounts not under his real name, asked Santos to speak on several bizarre topics, including congratulating a blind woman for passing a driving test and praising a man for winning an eating contest after devouring six pounds of ground beef. Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'devour.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of devour was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near devour

Cite this Entry

“Devour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devour. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

devour

verb
de·​vour di-ˈvau̇(ə)r How to pronounce devour (audio)
1
: to eat up greedily or hungrily
devoured everything on his plate
2
: to use up or destroy as if by eating
fire devoured the barn
3
: to enjoy eagerly
devour a book

More from Merriam-Webster on devour

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