ravin

See also: ravin'

English

Etymology

The noun is derived from Middle English ravin, ravine, raven (“rapine, robbery; rape; force, violence; greed, rapacity; stolen goods, booty, plunder; prey, quarry; pursuit of prey; predatoriness, voracity”),[1] from Anglo-Norman ravein, raveine, ravine (“rapine, robbery; rape; force, violence; greed, rapacity; impetuousness; stolen goods”), Middle French ravine, and Old French ravine (“rapine, robbery; force, violence; impetuousness”), from Latin rapīna (“pillage, plunder, robbery, rapine; booty, plunder”),[2] from rapiō (“to abduct, carry off; to grab, snatch; to rape; to steal”) (from Proto-Italic *rapjō (“to seize, take away”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rep- (“to snatch”)) + -īna (suffix forming abstract nouns).

The adjective is derived from Middle English ravin, ravine (“predatory; ravenous”), from Middle English ravin, ravine (noun):[3] see above.

The verb is not attested before the 16th century, but words like Middle English raviner, ravinour (“plunderer; robber; rapist; predator”),[4] ravening (“act of robbery; predatoriness, rapacity”, noun),[5] and ravening, ravining (“(adjective) savage, ravening; (noun) preceded by ‘the’: the devil”)[6] suggest that it existed in the 14th and 15th centuries, and was probably derived from the noun. Compare Middle French raviner (“to make furrows”), Old French raviner (“to take by force; to rush; to stream”) (modern French raviner)[7]

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɹæv(ɪ)n/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
    (file)
  • enPR: răvʹən, (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɹæv(ə)n/
  • Rhymes: -ævɪn, -ævən
  • Hyphenation: rav‧in

Noun

ravin (countable and uncountable, plural ravins) (archaic, literary)

  1. (countable, uncountable) Property obtained or seized by force or violence; booty, plunder, spoils.
  2. (uncountable) Of a (predatory) animal: seizing or devouring of food or prey; predation.
  3. (uncountable, figurative) Gluttony, greed, rapacity; also, the quality of being predatory; predatoriness.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:greed
  4. (obsolete)
    1. (countable, rare) A predatory animal; a predator.
    2. (uncountable) Obtaining or seizing property by force or violence; pillage, plunder, robbery; (countable, chiefly in the plural) an instance of this.
      Synonyms: pillaging, plundering, rapine
    3. (uncountable) That which a predatory animal seizes for food; prey; also (hunting) an animal which is hunted; quarry.

Alternative forms

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

ravin (comparative more ravin, superlative most ravin)

  1. (obsolete) Ravenous.

Alternative forms

Verb

ravin (third-person singular simple present ravins, present participle ravining, simple past and past participle ravined)

  1. (transitive, archaic)
    1. Sometimes followed by away or from: to obtain or seize (something, especially property) by force or violence; to plunder.
      • 1560 October 5 (Gregorian calendar), John Sledaine [i.e., Johannes Sleidanus], “The .XXIJ. Booke”, in Ihon [i.e., John] Daus, transl., A Famouse Cronicle of Oure Time, Called Sleidanes Commentaries, Concerning the State of Religion and Commonwealth, during the Raigne of the Emperour Charles the Fift, […], London: […] Ihon Daye, for Abraham Veale, and Nicholas England, →OCLC, folios ccclv, verso – ccclvj, recto:
        [They] aſſaulted by night a certen aũciẽt [auncient] gentleman at home in his owne houſe, which had done thē [them] no diſpleaſure, and being a ſlepe in his bed at their cõming [comming], whan he had hardly eſcaped awaye half naked, rauening and diſtroying his goodes, they ſpoyled his wyfe and chyldren of all theyr apparell, and threatening them ofte with death, left thẽ [them] ſtarck naked, in ſo muche that one of the Nobilitie comming thither by chaunce, couered the woman with his owne garment.
      • 1621, George Hakewill, “Verse 6”, in King Davids Vow for Reformation of Himselfe, His Family, His Kingdome. Deliuered in Twelue Sermons before the Prince His Highnesse vpon Psalm 101, London: […] [Humphrey Lownes] for Mathew Lownes, →OCLC, page 237:
        Hee changed his vvages tenne times, ſought to eat him vp, & to rauin all hee could get from him.
    2. Sometimes followed by down, up, or (obsolete) in: to eat (something, such as food or prey) greedily; to devour, to wolf down.
    3. (figurative) To absorb or take in (something, such as information) greedily; also, to approach or pounce on (someone) like prey.
  2. (intransitive)
    1. Followed by about, after, or for: to go after or seek for something, especially booty or spoils; to maraud, to plunder; also (generally), to move about wildly and cause damage; to rampage.
      • 1670, [Guillaume] Girard, “The Ninth Book”, in Charles Cotton, transl., The History of the Life of the Duke of Espernon, the Great Favourite of France. […], London: […] E. Cotes, and A. Clark, for Henry Brome, […], →OCLC, 3rd part, page 442:
        [T]he Inhabitants of the Countrey, a barbarous and inhumane people (as generally Sea-borderers are) and inur'd to the ſpoil of VVracks, vvere not over haſty to acquaint the Duke's Officers vvith this, that they might not be diſturbed vvhilst buſie ravening after Booty.
      • 1865, Thomas Carlyle, “[Leopold Joseph von] Daun in Wrestle with Friedrich in the Silesian Hills”, in History of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Called Frederick the Great, volume V, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, book XVIII, pages 92–93:
        A scandal to be seen, how his Croats and loose hordes went openly ravening about, bent on mere housebreaking, street-robbery and insolent violence.
    2. To eat greedily; also, followed by on or upon: of an animal: to prey on.
      • 1545 July 12 (Gregorian calendar), Thomas Elyot, A Preseruatiue agaynste Deth, London: […] Thomas Berthelet, […], →OCLC, signature [B.vi.], recto:
        The couaitous deſyre of riche men is euer vnſaciable. It always raueneth and neuer is ſatisfied.
      • 1657, Longus, “The Fourth Book”, in George Thornley, transl., Daphnis & Chloe […], [S.l]: [s.n.], published 1920s?, →OCLC, page 154:
        For he [Daphnis] had doubled the number [of goats] he had received of Lamo, nor had the Wolf raven'd away so much as one, and they were all more twaddling fat then the very sheep.
      • 1667, attributed to Richard Allestree, “A Survey of the Mischiefs Arising from Disputes in General”, in The Causes of the Decay of Christian Piety. […], London: […] R. Norton for T. Garthwait, […], →OCLC, page 247:
        [I]t is his [Satan's] Maſtery to ſpread an unſeen venome in the Bovvels, thence to diffuſe its ſelf through't, mix vvith the vital ſpirit, and convert that kindly heat vvhich ſhould animate, into thoſe vvild irregular flames vvhich ravine and conſume.
        A figurative use.
      • 1894, E[dith Anna] Œ[none] Somerville, Martin Ross [pseudonym; Violet Florence Martin], chapter XII, in The Real Charlotte […], volume I, London: Ward and Downey […], →OCLC, page 168:
        [T]he outdoor dogs […] were permitted to raven unchecked upon chicken bones, fat slices of ham, and luscious leavings of cream when the packing-up time came.
      • 1905, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany], “The Bird of Doom and the End”, in The Gods of Pegāna, London: [Charles] Elkin Mathews, […], →OCLC, page 93:
        And the hound Time, when all the Worlds and cities are swept away whereon he used to raven, having no more to devour, shall suddenly die.
        A figurative use.
      • 1908, “The Seven Against Thebes”, in Edmund Doidge Anderson Morshead, transl., Four Plays of Aeschylus, page 124:
        Now, if ye hear the bruit of death or wounds, / Give not yourselves o'ermuch to shriek and scream, / For Ares ravins upon human flesh.
      • 1938 July 16 – September 3, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter VIII, in The Code of the Woosters, London: Herbert Jenkins, published 7 October 1938, →OCLC, page 177:
        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. Sometimes followed by about or on: to move about searching for food or prey ravenously.
    4. Sometimes followed by after or for: to have a ravenous appetite or craving for food or prey.
      • 1587, Leonard Mascall, “The Nature and Qualities of Hogges, & also the Gouernement thereof”, in The First Booke of Cattell. Wherein is Shewed, the Gouernement of Oxen, Kine, and Calues, and How to Vse Buls and Other Cattell to the Yoke, and Fell. […], London: […] Nicholas Okes for Iohn Harison, […], published 1610, →OCLC, page 273:
        [B]ecause hogs are commonly rauening for their meat, more then other cattel, it is meet therefore to haue them ringed, or elſe they will doe much hurt in digging and turning vp corne fieldes, […]
      • 1852 December, [Elizabeth Gaskell], “The Old Nurse’s Story”, in Lizzie Leigh; and Other Tales. […], copyright edition, Leipzig, Saxony: Bernhard Tauchnitz, published 1855, →OCLC, page 115:
        They passed along towards the great hall-door, where the winds howled and ravened for their prey; […]
        A figurative use.
      • 1865, Sabine Baring-Gould, “Folk-lore Relating to Were-wolves”, in The Book of Were-wolves: Being an Account of a Terrible Superstition, London: Smith, Elder and Co. […], →OCLC, page 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.
    5. Originally followed by with: to experience great hunger; to be ravenous.
      • 1621, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Democritus Iunior to the Reader”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy, […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and Iames Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, page 41:
        For hovv […] ſhall I knovv thee to be a man, vvhen thou kickeſt like an aſſe, neygheſt like an Horſe after vvomen, raueſt in luſt like a Bull, raueneſt like a Beare, ſtingeſt like a Scorpion, rakeſt like a VVolfe, as ſuttle as a Foxe, as impudent as a Dogge; ſhall I ſay thou art man that haſt all the Symptomes of a beaſt?
    6. (figurative) To take and exploit or make use of greedily.
    7. (figurative) Sometimes followed by after or for: to have a strong craving or desire for, or to do, something; to crave, to desire, to yearn.
      • 1892, S[abine] Baring-Gould, “Jamie’s Ride”, in In the Roar of the Sea: A Tale of the Cornish Coast […], volume II, London: Methuen & Co. […], →OCLC, page 33:
        Here's my brother thirsting, ravening to make your acquaintance—and by George! you are in luck's way, young hopeful, to make his.
      • 1931 August, James B[ernard] Fagan, “The Improper Duchess”, in Famous Plays of 1931, London: Victor Gollancz […], published February 1932, →OCLC, Act III, page 237:
        Take your conscience—what is the choice? 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.

Conjugation

Conjugation of ravin
infinitive (to) ravin
present tense past tense
1st-person singular ravin ravined
2nd-person singular ravin, ravinest† ravined, ravinedst†
3rd-person singular ravins, ravineth† ravined
plural ravin
subjunctive ravin ravined
imperative ravin —
participles ravining ravined

† Archaic or obsolete.

Alternative forms

Derived terms

Translations

References

  1. ^ “ravī̆n(e, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. ^ “ravin, n.1 and adj.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, December 2025; “ravin, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
  3. ^ “ravī̆n(e, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007
  4. ^ “ravī̆nǒur, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  5. ^ “ravening, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  6. ^ “ravī̆ning, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  7. ^ “raven, v.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, December 2025.

Further reading

Anagrams

French

Etymology

From ravine or raviner, from Old French ravine, from Latin rapīna.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ʁa.vɛ̃/
  • Audio:(file)

Noun

ravin m (plural ravins)

  1. ravine

Derived terms

Further reading

Haitian Creole

Etymology

From French ravin.

Noun

ravin

  1. ravine

References

  • Targète, Jean; Urciolo, Raphael (1993), Haitian Creole-English Dictionary‎[1], Dunwoody Press, →ISBN

Nalik

Noun

ravin (singular a ravin, plural a fu ravin)

  1. woman

Further reading

  • Malcolm Ross, Proto Oceanic and the Austronesian Languages of Western Melanesia, Pacific Linguistics, series C-98 (1988)
  • Craig Alan Volker, The Nalik Language of New Ireland, Papua New Guinea (1998), page 90

Swedish

Etymology

From French ravine, from Latin rapīna.

Noun

ravin c

  1. a ravine
    en djup ravin med tvärbranta väggar
    a deep ravine with sheer walls

Declension

Declension of ravin
nominative genitive
singular indefinite ravin ravins
definite ravinen ravinens
plural indefinite raviner raviners
definite ravinerna ravinernas

References

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