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Having a keen appetite for food or drink; ravenous; voracious; very hungry; -- followed by of; as, a lion that is greedy of his prey.

The transformation of venous arterial blood by respiration; hematosis.

A fabulous winged monster, ravenous and filthy, having the face of a woman and the body of a vulture, with long claws, and the face pale with hunger. Some writers mention two, others three. Both table and provisions vanished guite. With sound of harpies' wings and talons heard. Milton.

A kind of strong drink formerly used. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl. Venous hum. See under Venous.

A ravenous appetite caused by disease; excessive and morbid hunger.

Wolfish; ravenous. Gauden.

A tracing (with the sphygmograph) of the movements of a vein, or of the venous pulse.

Hungry; ravenous; as, predatory spirits. [Obs.] Exercise . . . maketh the spirits more hot and predatory. Bacon.

Avaricious; grasping; extortionate; also, greedy; ravenous; voracious; as, rapacious usurers; a rapacious appetite. [Thy Lord] redeem thee from Death's rapacious claim Milton .

The quality of being rapacious; rapaciousness; ravenousness; as, the rapacity of pirates; the rapacity of wolves.

A convulsive disease, attended with ravenous hunger, not uncommon in Sweden and Germany. It was so called because supposed to be caused by eating corn with which seeds of jointed charlock (Raphanus raphanistrum) had been mixed, but the condition is now known to be a form of ergotism.

Ravenous. [Obs.] Shak.

entment with what is wished for. Death shall . . . with us two Be forced to satisfy his ravenous maw. Milton.

irpool Charybdis on the coast of Sicily, -- both personified in classical literature as ravenous monsters. The passage between them was formerly considered perilous; hence, the saying "Between Scylla and Charybdis," signifying a great peril on either hand.

Eager in appetite or desire of gratification; affected by keen hunger; ravenous; as, an eagle or a lion sharp-set. The town is sharp-set on new plays. Pope.

One of the vessels which carry blood, either venous or arterial, to the heart. See Artery, 2.

Pertaining to veins; venous. [R.]

Of or pertaining to veins; venous; as, venal blood. [R.]

The quality or state of being venous.

Greedy in eating; very hungry; eager to devour or swallow; ravenous; gluttonous; edacious; rapacious; as, a voracious man or appetite; a voracious gulf or whirlpool. Dampier. -- Vo*ra"cious*ly, adv. -- Vo*ra"cious*ness, n.