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Definition of Rapacious
1. Adjective. Living by preying on other animals especially by catching living prey. "A vulturine taste for offal"
Similar to: Aggressive
Derivative terms: Raptor, Vulture
2. Adjective. Excessively greedy and grasping. "Paying taxes to voracious governments"
3. Adjective. Devouring or craving food in great quantities. "Voracious sharks"
Similar to: Gluttonous
Derivative terms: Edacity, Edacity, Esurience, Rapaciousness, Rapacity, Ravenousness, Voraciousness, Voraciousness, Voracity, Voracity
Definition of Rapacious
1. a. Given to plunder; disposed or accustomed to seize by violence; seizing by force.
Definition of Rapacious
1. Adjective. Voracious; avaricious. ¹
2. Adjective. Given to taking by force or plundering. ¹
3. Adjective. (context: of an animal, usually a bird) Subsisting off live prey. ¹
¹ Source: wiktionary.com
Definition of Rapacious
1. [adj]
Lexicographical Neighbors of Rapacious
Literary usage of Rapacious
Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:
1. English Synonymes Explained in Alphabetical Order with Copious Illustrations by George Crabb (1887)
"Rapacious, in Latin rapar, from rapio, to seize, signifies seizing or grasping
anything with an eager desire to him1. RAVENOUS, from the Latin rabie», fury, ..."
2. A History of the Earth, and Animated Natureby Oliver Goldsmith, Washington Irving by Oliver Goldsmith, Washington Irving (1854)
"All land- birds of the rapacious kinds are furnished with a large head, and a
strong, crooked beak, notched at the end, for the purpose of tearing their ..."
3. The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of the Creation: In Two Parts. Viz by John Ray (1714)
"Then for Birds of Prey, and rapacious Animals, ... rapacious Birds, it is worthy,
the noting that be- ..."
4. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon (1887)
"He despised the trophies of a Gothic victory,8 and was satisfied that the rapacious
barbarians of the Danube would be restrained from any future violation ..."
5. The Encyclopedia Americana: A Library of Universal Knowledge (1919)
"These lizards are rapacious and devour great numbers of ground-keeping insects
and crayfish. They breed by means of eggs hidden in loose soil or leaves; ..."
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