rapaciousness

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

English rapacious

Proto-Germanic *-in-

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂

Proto-Indo-European *-yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti

Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti

Proto-Germanic *-ōną

Proto-Germanic *-inōną

Proto-Indo-European *-dyé-der.

Proto-Germanic *-atjaną

Proto-Indo-European *-tus

Proto-Germanic *-þuz

Proto-Germanic *-assuz

Proto-Germanic *-inassuz

Proto-West Germanic *-nassī

Old English -nes

Middle English -nesse

English -ness

English rapaciousness

From rapacious + -ness.

Noun

rapaciousness (uncountable)

1. The state of being rapacious; extreme gluttony.

   Synonyms: rapacity; see also Thesaurus:greed

   • 2015, Elizabeth Royte, Vultures Are Revolting. Here’s Why We Need to Save Them., National Geographic (December 2015)[1]

     THE VULTURE MAY be the most maligned bird on the planet, a living metaphor for greed and rapaciousness.