devour

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de·vour / diˈvou(ə)r/ • v. [tr.] eat (food or prey) hungrily or quickly: he devoured half of his burger in one bite. ∎  (of fire, disease, or other forces) consume (someone or something) destructively: the hungry flames devoured the old house. ∎  read (something) quickly and eagerly: she spent her evenings devouring the classics. ∎  (be devoured) (of a person) be totally absorbed by an unpleasant feeling: she was devoured by need.DERIVATIVES: de·vour·er n.de·vour·ing·ly adv.

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