devour

Word family

Related topics: Food

de·vour /dɪˈvaʊə $ -ˈvaʊr/ verb [transitiveT]

1 DFEATto eat something quickly because you are very hungry 狼吞虎咽地吃

The boys devoured their pancakes.

男孩子们狼吞虎咽地把薄煎饼吃了。

► see thesaurus at eat

2 READto read something quickly and eagerly, or watch something with great interest 如饥似渴地阅读；津津有味地看

He devoured science fiction books.

他如饥似渴地读科幻小说。

3 be devoured by something STRONG FEELING OR BELIEFto be filled with a strong feeling that seems to control you 心中充满〔强烈的情感〕

Cindy felt devoured by jealousy.

辛迪妒火中烧。

Examples from the Corpus

be devoured by something• Every Underground movement that goes overground is devoured by banality.• Howard was devoured by hatred for his co-workers.• The boats were lowered but the harpooner on the boat nearest him was devoured by the Great White Whale.• This continent bore a very advanced civilization, but was devoured by the ocean in some unspecified catastrophe.

4 DESTROY literary to destroy someone or something 毁灭，吞噬〔某人或某物〕

Her body had been almost entirely devoured by the disease.

她的身体几乎完全被疾病摧毁。

5 to use up all of something 耗尽，用完

a job that devours all my energy

耗尽我全部精力的工作

Examples from the Corpus

devour• When they reached Crete they were given to the Minotaur to devour.• Wendell devoured a large piece of gingerbread, then licked his fingers greedily.• An eagle, perching on a cactus, was devouring a snake.• Rupert, devouring his sandwich with enjoyment, looked at her.• Marsalis renders it with such bounce and joy that he practically devours it.• Whenever possible I devoured local newspapers, trying to get a feel for the politics and social conditions of each place.• Kandel devours novels and magazines.• The seasons would devour one another.• The new fighter plane is devouring public funds.• Those who could not afford to travel, hungrily devoured the pictures in magazines.• After the tennis match the boys devoured the sandwiches in seconds.• However, this sea star, like many starfish, is capable of devouring these armoured animals.• Hundreds of fans will be in the audience over the next two nights just waiting to devour those lines.

Origin devour

(1300-1400) Old French devorer, from Latin vorare “to swallow”

de·vour verb

Chinese

Syllable

Corpus