ravening adj.

"to prey, to plunder, devour greedily," mid-14c., also ravine, from Old French raviner, ravinier "to seize, pillage; to sweep down, cascade," from Latin rapina "an act of robbery, plundering," from rapere "seize, carry off, rob" (see rapid). Related: Ravened; ravening. Obsolete except as a past-participle adjective.

late 14c., ravinous, "obsessed with plundering, extremely greedy," from Old French ravinos, ravinous, of people, "rapacious, violent," of water, "swift-flowing," from raviner "to seize, pillage; to sweep down, cascade," from ravine "violent rush, robbery," from Latin rapina "act of robbery, plundering" (see rapine). Meaning "voracious, furiously hungry" is from early 15c. (compare ravening). Related: Ravenously; ravenousness.