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ravin

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: ravin'

English

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WOTD – 13 May 2026
An 1896 drawing of a North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) ravining a crab (verb sense 1.2).

Etymology

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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

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Noun

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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.
    • 1609, Ammianus Marcellinus, “[The XVI. Booke.] Chapter II. The Vertues of Iulianus, Beseeming a Magnanimous Prince, Ammianus Marcellinus Exactly Describeth.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Roman Historie, […], London: […] Adam Jslip, →OCLC, page 57:
      [T]he rage and furie of the barbarous nations brake out into a flaming fire: and like as vvild beaſts, vvont to live of ravine and prey vvhen keepers be ſlacke and negligent, […] vvithout regard of life, run upon vvhole heards and flockes of cattell: […]
    • 1630, Michael Drayton, “David and Goliah”, in The Muses Elizivm, Lately Discouered, by a New Way over Parnassvs. […], London: […] Thomas Harper, for Iohn Waterson, […], →OCLC, page 205:
      The Kites and Rauens are not farre avvay, / Nor beaſts of rauin that ſhall make a prey / Of a poore corpſe, vvhich they from me ſhall haue, / And their foule bovvels ſhall be all thy graue.
    • 1691, John Ray, “Of Bodies Endued with a Sensitive Soul, or Animals”, in The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of the Creation. […], London: […] Samuel Smith, […], →OCLC, page 110:
      The marvellous ſpeedy grovvth of Birds that are hatched in Neſts, and fed by the Old ones there, […] ſeems to me an Argument of Providence deſigning thereby their preſervation, that they might not lie long in a condition expoſed to the ravine of any Vermine that may find them, being utterly unable to eſcape or ſhift for themſelves.
    • 1856, John Ruskin, “Resulting Forms:—Fifthly, Stones”, in Modern Painters […], volume IV, London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], →OCLC, part V (Of Mountain Beauty), § 26, page 324:
      [T]he clustered cottages, […] with their pastured flocks around them, safe from the eagle's stoops and the wolf's ravin, […]
  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
      • a. 1536 (date written), Thomas More, “The Life of John Picus Erle of Myrandula, […]. Twelve Rules of John Picus Earle of Mirandula, Partely Exciting, Partely Directing a Man in Spiritual Bataile.”, in Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], editor, The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published 30 April 1557, →OCLC, pages 21–22:
        The. iiii. rule. […] If thou withdrawe thine handes, and forbere, / The rauens of anyething: remember than, / How his [Jesus's] innocent handes nailed were.
      • 1542, Thomas Eliot [i.e., Thomas Elyot], “Cestreus”, in Bibliotheca Eliotæ: Eliotis Librarie, London: Thomas Berthelet, […], published 1545, →OCLC, signature H.iiii., recto, column 1:
        Ceſtreus, a kind of codfiſh, which neuer eateth any other fyſhe, wherof came this prouerbe, Ceſtreus ieiunae, the codde faſteth, ſpoken of good and iuſt men, whiche do noe raueyn nor taketh any other mens gooddes from theim.
      • 1546, John Heywood, chapter IX, in Julian Sharman, editor, The Proverbs of John Heywood. […], London: George Bell and Sons, […], published 1874, →OCLC, part II, page 158:
        And sure since we were borne, / Ruine of one ravine, was there none gretter: […]
        Spelled rauyn in the 1st edition.
      • 1570 (date written), William Lambard[e], “Douer, […]”, in A Perambulation of Kent: Conteining the Description, Hystorie, and Customes of the Shyre. […], London: […] [Henrie Middleton] for Ralphe Newberie, […], published 1576, →OCLC, page 123:
        [H]e [Odo of Bayeux] had […] by rauine and extortion, raked together greate maſſes of Golde and treaſure, whiche he cauſed to be grounde into fine pouder, and (filling therewith dyuers pottes and crockes) had ſounk them in the Bottomes of Riuers, intending therwithall to haue purchaſed the Papacie of Rome: […]
      • 1610–1614, John Fletcher, “The Tragedie of Valentinian”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act V, scene iv, page 25, column 1:
        VVhy doe vve like to feed the greedy Raven / Of theſe blovvne men, that muſt before they ſtand, / And fixt in eminence, caſt life on life, / And trench their ſafeties in vvith vvounds, and bodies?
      • 1625, Bartolomé de las Casas, “A Briefe Narration of the Destruction of the Indies by the Spaniards: Written by a Frier Bart. de las Casas a Spaniard, and Bishop of Chiapa in America”, in [Samuel] Purchas, Purchas His Pilgrimes. […], 4th part, London: […] William Stansby for Henrie Fetherstone, […], →OCLC, 8th book, page 1594:
        [W]ith the cruelties horrible and ougly, vvith the rauins, iniquities and robberies, all the vvhich things haue beene executed amongſt thoſe people, and are yet daily committed in thoſe quarters: […] I haue not ſaid one of a thouſand, of that vvhich hath beene done, and is daily a doing at this preſent, […]
    3. (uncountable) That which a predatory animal seizes for food; prey; also (hunting) an animal which is hunted; quarry.

Alternative forms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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Adjective

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ravin (comparative more ravin, superlative most ravin)

  1. (obsolete) Ravenous.
    • c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 242, column 1:
      […] I am the cauſe / His death vvas ſo effected: Better 'tvvere / I met the rauine Lyon vvhen he roar'd / VVith ſharpe conſtraint of hunger: better 'tvvere, / That all the miſeries vvhich nature ovves / VVere mine at once.
    • 1827–1879 (date written), Alfred Tennyson, “Part II”, in The Lover’s Tale, London: C[harles] Kegan Paul & Co., […], published 1879, →OCLC, page 65:
      A vessel in mid-ocean, her heaved prow / Clambering, the mast bent and the ravin wind / In her sail roaring.
    • 1851 June 13, “An abolitionist at fault”, in W[illia]m Lloyd Garrison, editor, The Liberator, volume XXI, number 24 (number 1066 overall), Boston, Mass.: Wm. Lloyd Garrison, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 96, column 5:
      'I had a brother-in-law,' said Moss Perkins, 'who was one of the ravinest, maddest, reddest-hottest abolitionists you ever see. […]'
      Reproduced from The Boston Post and criticized as a “piece of witless blackguardism”.
    • 1865, Edward FitzGerald, “Agamemnon, a Tragedy Taken from Æschylus”, in William Aldis Wright, editor, Letters and Literary Remains of Edward FitzGerald […], volume III, London; New York, N.Y.: Macmillan and Co., published 1889, →OCLC, page 299:
      What ten years had hardly won, / In a single night undone; / And on earth what saved and gain'd, / By the ravin sea distrain'd.

Alternative forms

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Verb

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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.
    3. Sometimes followed by down, up, or (obsolete) in: to eat (something, such as food or prey) greedily; to devour, to wolf down.
      • 1560, [William Whittingham et al., transl.], The Bible and Holy Scriptures Conteyned in the Olde and Newe Testament. […] (the Geneva Bible), Geneva: […] Rouland Hall, →OCLC, Ezekiél XXII:27, folio 343, recto, column 2:
        Her princes in the middes thereof are like vvolues, rauening yͤ pray [prey] to ſhed blood, and to ſhed blood, and to deſtroye ſoules for their ovvne couetous lucre.
      • a. 1572 (date written), Iohn Iewel [i.e., John Jewel], “The First Epistle of S. Paule to the Thessalonians. Chap[ter] 4. [verses 13–14]”, in An Exposition vpon the Two Epistles of the Apostle S. Paul to the Thessalonians, […], London: […] Ralfe Newberie, published 1584, →OCLC, pages 166–167:
        As God was able to ſaue the bodies of his ſeruantes, that they were not hurt in the fire, as he was able to keepe Ionas ſafe, in the whales bellie: ſo can he preſerue our bodies in the earth. Yea, much better, becauſe the fire naturally conſumeth, and the fiſhes bellie deſtroieth thoſe things which they rauine: but the earth naturally preſerueth that which is earthie.
      • 1603, Richard Knolles, “The Life of Selymus, the Second of that Name, Fift Emperour of the Turkes”, in The Generall Historie of the Turkes, […], London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, page 833:
        [C]ertaine young men vvhom they call Giamoglans, vvith others that ſtood round about them, ſnatcht it [the food] haſtily vp as their fees, and like greedie Harpies rauened it dovvne in a moment.
      • 1607, Conradus Gesnerus [i.e., Conrad Gessner]; Edward Topsell, “Of Handling, Taming, or Breaking of Horsses”, in The Historie of Foure-footed Beastes. […], London: […] William Iaggard, →OCLC, page 303:
        In the morning giue them [horses] barley or prouender, a little at a time in diſtinct or ſeueral portions, tvvice or thrice one after another, ſo as he may chevv and eke diſgeſt it thoroughly, othervviſe if he rauen it, as he vvil do hauing much at a time, he rendreth it in his dung vvhole and not diſgeſted.
      • 1615, Richarde Brathwaite [i.e., Richard Braithwait], “[Loves Labyrinth: Or The True-louers Knot: Including the Disastrous Fals of Two Star-crost Louers Pyramus & Thysbe. […].] Pyramus and Thysbe.”, in A Strappado for the Diuell. […], London: […] I. B[eale] for Richard Redmer […], →OCLC, page 40:
        A Lion nevv returnde from rauening pray [prey], / came to the fount, his blood to vvaſh avvay.
      • 1653, Francis Rabelais [i.e., François Rabelais], translated by [Thomas Urquhart, Peter Anthony Motteux], “How Pantagruel Found Panurge, whom He Loved All His Lifetime”, in The Works of Francis Rabelais, Doctor in Physick: Containing Five Books of the Lives, Heroick Deeds, and Sayings of Gargantua, and His Sonne Pantagruel. […], London: […] [Thomas Ratcliffe and Edward Mottershead] for Richard Baddeley, […], →OCLC; republished in volume I, London: […] Navarre Society […], [1948], →OCLC, 2nd book, pages 211–212:
        [A]t this present I am in a very urgent necessity to feed, […] if you will but set me to work, it will be as good as a balsamum for sore eyes to see me gulch and raven it, for Gods sake, give order for it.
      • 1814, Dante Alighieri, “Canto XXXII”, in H[enry] F[rancis] Cary, transl., The Vision; or, Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise, of Dante Alighieri. […], volume I (Hell), London: […] [J. Barfield] for Taylor and Hessey, […], →OCLC, page 143, lines 122–127:
        […] I beheld two spirits by the ice / Pent in one hollow, that the head of one / Was cowl unto the other; and as bread / Is raven'd up through hunger, th' uppermost / Did so apply his fangs to th' other's brain, / Where the spine joins it.
      • 1818, John Keats, “Book III”, in Endymion: A Poetic Romance, London: […] T[homas] Miller, […] for Taylor and Hessey, […], →OCLC, page 130, lines 514–515:
        Clusters of grapes, the which they raven'd quick / And roar'd for more; […]
    4. (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.
      • 1603, Michaell [i.e., Michael] Drayton, “The Barrons Warres. The First Booke.”, in The Barrons Wars in the Raigne of Edward the Second. […], London: […] I[ames] R[oberts] for N[icholas] Ling, →OCLC, stanza 7, page 3:
        Transferd by fortune to the Scottiſh meare, / To ranſack that, as it had been rauin'd heere.
      • 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.
      • 1952, Geoffrey Grigson, “Weeds, Weeds, Weeds”, in Gardenage: Or The Plants of Ninhursaga, London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, →OCLC, page 32:
        Since the pale persicaria arrived in New Zealand some fifty years ago, it has ravined about the two islands, North and South, growing now and again in a stupendous plenty.
    2. To eat greedily; also, followed by on or upon: of an animal: to prey on.
    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.
      • 1667 (revival performance), John Dryden, The Wild Gallant: A Comedy. […], In the Savoy [London]: […] T[homas] Newcomb for H[enry] Herringman, […], published 1669, →OCLC, Act IV, page 59:
        Iſa[belle]. She has qualmes too every morning: ravins mightily for green-fruit; and ſvvoones at the ſight of hot meat. / Non[such]. She's vvith Childe! I am undone: I am undone!
      • 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

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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

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Derived terms

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Translations

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References

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  1. ^ “ravī̆n(e, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. ^ “ravin, n.1 and adj.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, 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 Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, December 2025.

Further reading

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Anagrams

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French

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Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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Noun

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ravin m (plural ravins)

  1. ravine

Derived terms

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Further reading

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Haitian Creole

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Etymology

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From French ravin.

Noun

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ravin

  1. ravine

References

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  • Targète, Jean; Urciolo, Raphael (1993), Haitian Creole-English Dictionary‎[1], Dunwoody Press, →ISBN, page 163

Nalik

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Noun

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ravin (singular a ravin, plural a fu ravin)

  1. woman

Further reading

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  • Ross, Malcolm (1988), Proto Oceanic and the Austronesian Languages of Western Melanesia (Pacific Linguistics; C-98)‎[2], Canberra, ACT: Pacific Linguistics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University
  • Craig Alan Volker, The Nalik Language of New Ireland, Papua New Guinea (1998), page 90

Swedish

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Etymology

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From French ravine, from Latin rapīna.

Noun

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ravin c

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

Declension

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

References

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