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Webster 1913 Edition

Appetite

Ap′pe-tite

,
Noun.
[OE.
appetit
, F.
appétit
, fr. L.
appetitus
, fr.
appetere
to strive after, long for;
ad
+
petere
to seek. See
Petition
, and cf.
Appetence
.]
1.
The desire for some personal gratification, either of the body or of the mind.
The object of
appetite
it whatsoever sensible good may be wished for; the object of will is that good which reason does lead us to seek.
Hooker.
2.
Desire for, or relish of, food or drink; hunger.
Men must have
appetite
before they will eat.
Buckle.
3.
Any strong desire; an eagerness or longing.
It God had given to eagles an
appetite
to swim.
Jer. Taylor.
To gratify the vulgar
appetite
for the marvelous.
Macaulay.
4.
Tendency; appetency.
[Obs.]
In all bodies there as an
appetite
of union.
Bacon.
5.
The thing desired.
[Obs.]
Power being the natural
appetite
of princes.
Swift.
☞ In old authors, appetite is followed by to or of, but regularly it should be followed by for before the object; as, an appetite for pleasure.
Syn. – Craving; longing; desire; appetency; passion.

Webster 1828 Edition

Appetite

AP'PETITE

,
Noun.
[L. appetitus, from appeto. See Appetence.]
1.
The natural desire of pleasure or good; the desire of gratification, either of the body or of the mind. Appetites are passions directed to general objects, as the appetite for fame, glory or riches; in distinction from passions directed to some particular objects, which retain their proper name, as the passion of love, envy or gratitude. Passion does not exist without an object; natural appetites exist first, and are then directed to objects.
2.
A desire of food or drink; a painful sensation occasioned by hunger or thirst.
3.
Strong desire; eagerness or longing.
4.
The thing desired.
Power being the natural appetite of princes.
Appetites are natural or artificial. Hunger and thirst are natural appetites; the appetites for olives, tobacco, snuff, &c. are artificial.
In old authors, appetite is followed by to, but regularly it should be followed by for before the object, as an appetite for pleasure.
To be given to appetite, is to be voracious or gluttonous. Prov. 23:2.

Definition 2025

appetite

appetite

English

Noun

appetite ‎(plural appetites)

  1. Desire for, or relish of, food or drink; hunger.
    • 1922, Ben Travers, chapter 5, in A Cuckoo in the Nest:
      The most rapid and most seductive transition in all human nature is that which attends the palliation of a ravenous appetite. There is something humiliating about it.
  2. Any strong desire; an eagerness or longing.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Jeremy Taylor
      If God had given to eagles an appetite to swim.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Thomas Macaulay
      To gratify the vulgar appetite for the marvelous.
  3. The desire for some personal gratification, either of the body or of the mind.
    • (Can we date this quote?)Richard Hooker
      The object of appetite is whatsoever sensible good may be wished for; the object of will is that good which reason does lead us to seek.
  4. A taste, preference.

Quotations

  • 1904, Arthur Conan Doyle in The Adventure of Black Peter
    And I return with an excellent appetite. There can be no question, my dear Watson, of the value of exercise before breakfast. But I am prepared to bet that you will not guess the form that my exercise has taken.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Italian

Verb

appetite

  1. second-person plural present indicative of appetire
  2. second-person plural imperative of appetire

Participle

appetite

  1. feminine plural of the past participle of appetire

Latin

Verb

appetite

  1. second-person plural present active imperative of appetō

Etymology

From Middle English appetit, from Old French apetit (French appétit), from Latin appetitus, from appetere ‎(“to strive after, long for”); ad + petere ‎(“to seek”). See petition, and compare with appetence.

Pronunciation

  • (US, UK) IPA(key): /ˈæp.ə.taɪt/
  • Homophone: apatite

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