verb
devour
dih-VOW-uh
verb
1
To eat something quickly and hungrily.
"The kids devoured the pizza within minutes of it arriving."
"He was so hungry he devoured the whole sandwich in three bites."
2
To destroy or consume something rapidly and completely.
"The wildfire devoured hundreds of acres of forest overnight."
3
To take in eagerly with the mind, especially reading material.
"She devoured every book in the series within a week."
How to Use Devour
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo eat, destroy, or take in something eagerly and quickly.
Common pairings
devour a book
devour a meal
flames devoured
Word Forms
devoured past tense, devours singular
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Etymology
From Old French devorer, from Latin dēvorāre, built from de- (intensifying) and vorāre, "to swallow."