edacity

e•dac•i•ty  (ih-das-i-tee)    / -ds-t /     n

Definition 

1. greediness; voracity; ravenousness; rapacity
2. excessive desire to eat; extreme gluttony

edacious adjective; edaciously adverb

Related

Synonyms: greediness, voracity, ravenousness, rapacity, avidity, esurience, greediness
Related Words: prandial

Examples


• I perceive that he refers rather to the oriental monks, than to the occidental ; for edacity in the Greeks [and orientals,] is gluttony, as in the Gauls it is nature. 1832
• The wolf is a beast of great edacity and digestion; it may be the parts of him comfort the bowels. Bacon

The Storyline

Was it mere edacity that caused Anna to accumulates so much ... stuff, or something more deep seated, she wondered to herself.

Origin

1620–30;  < Latin edācitās,  equiv. to edāci- stem of edax "voracious, gluttonous," from edere "to eat"  
                    + -āci-  adj. suffix + -tās -ty

Sources: Websters Online, Answers.com, Dictionary.com, Online Etymology

Why This Word:

Never blog on an empty stomach? This is my second word coming from the Latin edere "to eat" this week, and I guess I was hungry for more!

Synonym esurience entered the language at about the same time (in the form of esurient about 1672 and as esurience in 1825) and comes from the same root, edere. But along the way it took a different route, within Latin, being derived from the word for to hunger, esurire, which in Latin also carries the sense of to desire, as it does in English. And while esurience probably has a better claim on being used to mean excessive hunger, especially in the metaphorical sense, edacity has a better ring to it, appealing another sense and sating better my appetite for euphonious language.


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