RAPACIOUS

edacious, esurient, rapacious, ravening, ravenous, voracious, wolfish

(adjective) devouring or craving food in great quantities; “edacious vultures”; “a rapacious appetite”; “ravenous as wolves”; “voracious sharks”

rapacious, ravening, voracious

(adjective) excessively greedy and grasping; “a rapacious divorcee on the prowl”; “ravening creditors”; “paying taxes to voracious governments”

predatory, rapacious, raptorial, ravening, vulturine, vulturous

(adjective) living by preying on other animals especially by catching living prey; “a predatory bird”; “the rapacious wolf”; “raptorial birds”; “ravening wolves”; “a vulturine taste for offal”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Adjective

rapacious (comparative more rapacious, superlative most rapacious)

Voracious; avaricious.

Given to taking by force or plundering; aggressively greedy.

(of an animal, usually a bird) Subsisting off live prey.

Usage notes

• The use of this term for animals other than birds is dated.

Synonyms

• See also greedy

Source: Wiktionary

Rapa"cious, a. Etym: [L. rapax, -acis, from rapere to seize and carry off, to snatch away. See Rapid.]

1. Given to plunder; disposed or accustomed to seize by violence; seizing by force. " The downfall of the rapacious and licentious Knights Templar." Motley.

2. Accustomed to seize food; subsisting on prey, or animals seized by violence,; as, a tiger is a rapacious animal; a rapacious bird.

3. Avaricious; grasping; extortionate; also, greedy; ravenous; voracious; as, rapacious usurers; a rapacious appetite. [Thy Lord] redeem thee from Death's rapacious claim Milton .

Syn.

– Greedy; grasping; ravenous; voracious.

– Ra*pa"cious*ly, adv.

– Ra*pa"cious*ness, n.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition