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# devour

verb (devour, devours, devoured, devouring)

«devour» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. To eat something quickly and hungrily, often all of it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/devour/#m1)
2. To read, watch or take in something eagerly and quickly: «She devoured the book». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/devour/#m2)
3. To destroy something completely: «The fire devoured the forest». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/devour/#m3)
4. (of a feeling) To fill someone completely: «devoured by jealousy». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/devour/#m4)

### In the lessons

In science: predators devour their prey (food chains). In stories and fairy tales: wolves, dragons and giants devour; the Bible says the devil «prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour». In reading: children devour books they love. Phrases: «devour a meal», «devour books», «devoured by flames».

### Examples

- The hungry boys devoured the pizza in minutes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/devour/#x1)
- The lion devoured its prey. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/devour/#x2)
- Ellie devoured the whole series of books in a week. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/devour/#x3)
- The fire devoured the old barn. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/devour/#x4)
- In the story, the wolf wanted to devour Little Red Riding Hood. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/devour/#x5)
- The caterpillars devoured our cabbages. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/devour/#x6)
- He was devoured by curiosity about the locked box. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/devour/#x7)
- The dogs come and devour the bacon. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/devour/#x8)

### Note

Regular verb. Stronger than «eat»: it shows speed and greed. Pronounced dih-VOW-er. Do not confuse with «devout» (very religious).

## In Jewish tradition

God's holiness is pictured as a devouring fire; fire from God devoured Nadab and Abihu when they offered wrongly. The Psalms use devouring as a picture for enemies who ruin a people, for fire that kills the young, and for harmful words.

**Interpretation.** Tradition reads God as a jealous God who demands exact loyalty, and some commentators say Nadab and Abihu died from coming too close to holiness. The psalms' devouring is read as a cry to God against nations who destroyed Israel.

### Examples

- For the LORD thy God is a devouring fire, a jealous God. (Torah DEU.4.24, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/devour/#x1)
- And there came forth fire from before the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. (Torah LEV.10.2, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/devour/#x2)
- Are we not accounted by him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath also quite devoured our price. (Torah GEN.31.15, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/devour/#x3)
- Thou lovest all devouring words, the deceitful tongue. (Writings PSA.52.6, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/devour/#x4)
- For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his habitation. (Writings PSA.79.7, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/devour/#x5)
- Fire devoured their young men; and their virgins had no marriage-song. (Writings PSA.78.63, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/devour/#x6)

### Note

Regular verb. Stronger than «eat»: it shows speed and greed. Pronounced dih-VOW-er. Do not confuse with «devout» (very religious).

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «devour» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/devour/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«devour» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/devour.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «devour» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/devour/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«devour» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/devour.html) on Mova free.