Raven

Pronunciation

• enPR: rāʹvÉ™n, IPA: /ˈreɪvÉ™n/
• Rhymes: -eɪvÉ™n

From Old English hræfn, from Proto-Germanic *hrabnaz (compare Dutch raaf, German Rabe, Danish ravn), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱorh₂- (compare Middle Irish crú, Latin corvus, Lithuanian šárka ("magpie"), Serbo-Croatian svrȁka ‘id.’, Ancient Greek κόραξ), from *ḱer, *ḱor (compare Latin crepare ‘to creak, crack’, Sanskrit kṛ́patē ("")).

Full definition of raven

Noun

1. A common name for several, generally large and lustrous black species of birds in the genus Corvus, especially the common raven, Corvus corax.

Derived terms

• white-necked raven ()
• common raven (Corvus corax)
• Australian raven ()
• thick-billed raven ()
• Chihuahuan raven ()
• little raven ()
• fan-tailed raven ()
• brown-necked raven ()
• forest raven ()

Adjective

1. Of the color of the raven; jet-blackraven curlsraven darknessShe was a tall, sophisticated, raven-haired beauty.

Derived terms

Pronunciation

• enPR: răvʹən, IPA: /ˈrævÉ™n/
• Rhymes: -ævÉ™n

From Old French raviner ("rush, seize by force"), itself from ravine ("rapine"), from Latin rapina ("plundering, loot"), itself from rapere ("seize, plunder, abduct")

Alternative forms

• ravin, ravine

Noun

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

Verb

1. (archaic) To obtain or seize by violence.
2. To devour with great eagerness.
3. To prey with rapacity; to be greedy; to show 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.

Related terms

• ravener
• ravening
• ravenous, ravenously, ravenousness

Anagrams

• Verna