Dictionary of troublesome word. Bill Bryson. 2013.
ravage, ravish — The first means to lay waste. The second means to rape or carry off or, a touch confusingly, to enrapture. Clearly, in all senses, for both words, care needs to be exercised to avoid confusion … Dictionary of troublesome word
Ravage — Rav age (r[a^]v [asl]j; 48), n. [F., fr. (assumed) L. rapagium, rapaticum, fr. rapere to carry off by force, to ravish. See {Rapacious}, {Ravish}.] Desolation by violence; violent ruin or destruction; devastation; havoc; waste; as, the ravage of… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
ravage — (v.) 1610s, from Fr. ravager lay waste, devastate, from O.Fr. ravage destruction, especially by flood, 14c., from ravir to take away hastily (see RAVISH (Cf. ravish)). Related: Ravaged; ravaging … Etymology dictionary
ravage — ► VERB ▪ cause extensive damage to; devastate. ► NOUN (ravages) ▪ the destructive effects of something. ORIGIN French ravager, from ravir (see RAVISH(Cf. ↑ravish)) … English terms dictionary
ravage — [rav′ij] n. [Fr < OFr ravir: see RAVISH] 1. the act or practice of violently destroying; destruction 2. [usually pl.] ruin; devastating damage [the ravages of time] vt. ravaged, ravaging [Fr ravager < RAVAGE the n.] … English World dictionary
ravage — , ravish The first means to lay waste. The second means to rape or carry off or, a touch confusingly, to enrapture. Clearly, in all senses, for both words, care needs to be exercised to avoid confusion … Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors
ravage — I. noun Etymology: French, from Middle French, from ravir to ravish more at ravish Date: circa 1611 1. an act or practice of ravaging 2. damage resulting from ravaging ; violently destructive effect < the ravages of time > II. verb … New Collegiate Dictionary
ravage — ravagement, n. ravager, n. /rav ij/, v., ravaged, ravaging, n. v.t. 1. to work havoc upon; damage or mar by ravages: a face ravaged by grief. v.i. 2. to work havoc; do ruinous damage. n. 3. havoc; ruinous damage: the ravages of war. 4.… … Universalium
ravage — rav|age [ˈrævıdʒ] v [T usually passive] [Date: 1600 1700; : French; Origin: ravager, from ravage destruction , from ravir; RAVISH] to damage something very badly ▪ a country ravaged by civil war ▪ His health was gradually ravaged by drink and… … Dictionary of contemporary English
ravage — Synonyms and related words: abuse, adulterate, alloy, banditry, beset, betray, betrayal, bloodbath, blue ruin, breakup, brigandage, brigandism, bring to ruin, canker, carnage, cheapen, coarsen, condemn, confound, consume, consumption, contaminate … Moby Thesaurus
