devour Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb destroy completely
    • Fire had devoured our home
  2. verb enjoy avidly
    • She devoured his novels
  3. verb eat immoderately
    down; go through; consume.
    • Some people can down a pound of meat in the course of one meal
  4. verb eat greedily
    raven; pig; guttle.
    • he devoured three sandwiches

WordNet

De*vour" transitive verb
Etymology
F. dévorer, fr. L. devorare; de + vorare to eat greedily, swallow up. See Voracious.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Devoured ; present participle & verbal noun Devouring
Definitions
  1. To eat up with greediness; to consume ravenously; to feast upon like a wild beast or a glutton; to prey upon.
    Some evil beast hath devoured him. Gen. xxxvii. 20.
  2. To seize upon and destroy or appropriate greedily, selfishly, or wantonly; to consume; to swallow up; to use up; to waste; to annihilate.
    Famine and pestilence shall devour him. Ezek. vii. 15.
    I waste my life and do my days devour. Spenser.
  3. To enjoy with avidity; to appropriate or take in eagerly by the senses.
    Longing they look, and gaping at the sight, Devour her o'er with vast delight. Dryden.
    Syn. -- To consume; waste; destroy; annihilate.

Webster 1913