raven

Pronunciation

• enPR: rāʹvən, IPA^(key): /ˈɹeɪvən/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪvən

Noun

raven (plural ravens)

1. A common name for several, generally large and lustrous black species of birds in the genus Corvus, especially the common raven, Corvus corax.
   • c. 1588–1593, [William Shakespeare], The Most Lamentable Romaine Tragedie of Titus Andronicus: As It was Plaide by the Right Honourable the Earle of Darbie, Earle of Pembrooke, and Earle of Sussex Their Seruants (the First Quarto), London: Printed by Iohn Danter, and are to be sold by Edward White & Thomas Millington, at the little North doore of Paules at the signe of the Gunne, published 1594, OCLC 222241046, [Act II, scene iii]:

     Some ſay that Rauens foſter forlorne children, / The whilſt their owne birds famiſh in their neſts: / Oh be to me though thy hard hart ſay no, / Nothing ſo kinde but ſomething pittiful.

Adjective

raven (not comparable)

1. Of the color of the raven; jet-black

   raven curls

   raven darkness

   She was a tall, sophisticated, raven-haired beauty.

Alternative forms

• ravin, ravine

Pronunciation

• enPR: răvʹən, IPA^(key): /ˈɹævən/
• Rhymes: -ævən

Noun

raven (plural ravens)

1. Rapine; rapacity.
2. Prey; plunder; food obtained by violence.

Verb

raven (third-person singular simple present ravens, present participle ravening, simple past and past participle ravened)

1. (transitive, archaic) To obtain or seize by violence.
2. (transitive) To devour with great eagerness.
   • 1938, P.G. Woodhouse, The Code of the Woosters,

     I refer to the danger of keeping a dog of this nature and disposition in a bedroom, where it can spring out ravening on anyone who enters.

3. (transitive) To prey on with rapacity.

   The raven is both a scavenger, who ravens a dead animal almost like a vulture, and a bird of prey, who commonly ravens to catch a rodent.

4. (intransitive) To show rapacity; to be greedy (for something).
   • 1587, Leonard Mascall, The First Booke of Cattell, London, “The nature and qualities of hogges, and also the gouernement thereof,”

     […] because hogs are commonly rauening for their meat, more then other cattel, it is meet therefore to haue them ringed, or else they wil doe much hurt in digging and turning vp corne fieldes […]

   • 1852, Elizabeth Gaskell, “The Old Nurse’s Story” in The Old Nurse’s Story and Other Tales,

     They passed along towards the great hall-door, where the winds howled and ravened for their prey […]

   • 1865, Sabine Baring-Gould, The Book of Were-Wolves, London: Smith, Elder & Co., Chapter 8, p. 114,

     The Greek were-wolf is closely related to the vampire. The lycanthropist falls into a cataleptic trance, during which his soul leaves his body, enters that of a wolf and ravens for blood.

   • 1931, James B. Fagan, The Improper Duchess, London: Victor Gollancz, 1932, Act 3, p. 237,

     On one side the great temple where you can gather the good harvest—on the other a dirty little scandal that you’ve nosed out to fling to paper scavengers who feed it to their readin’ millions ravening for pornographic dirt.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈreːvə(n)/

Verb

raven

1. to (hold a) rave, to party wildly

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈraːvə(n)/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aːvən

Noun

raven

1. Plural form of raaf

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Alternative forms

• rave

Descendants

• Dutch: raaf
  • Afrikaans: raaf
• Limburgish: raof

Declension