ravager
|rav-a-ger|
🇺🇸
/ˈrævɪdʒər/
🇬🇧
/ˈrævɪdʒə/
violent destruction
Etymology
'ravager' originates from French, specifically the word 'ravager', where the element 'rav-' (related to Old French 'ravir') meant 'to seize, carry off or plunder'.
'ravager' changed from Old French words such as 'ravage' (meaning 'devastation') and the verb 'ravager', and entered English usage (via borrowings from French) as 'ravage'/'ravager' from around the late Middle Ages to early modern English.
Initially, related forms meant 'to seize, carry off' or 'devastation'; over time the sense broadened and stabilized into the modern meanings 'to cause great destruction' (verb) and 'one that causes great destruction' (noun).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person, animal, or thing that ravages; one that causes extensive destruction or severe damage.
The gypsy moth proved to be a ruthless ravager of the forest.
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Noun 2
something (often a force, disease, or storm) that produces widespread ruin or serious damage; used in figurative contexts.
The new blight was an unseen ravager of the vineyards.
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Last updated: 2025/12/16 01:49