Also 6–7 voracite, -itie. [a. F. voracité (14th c., = It. voracità, Sp. voracidad, Pg. -idade), or ad. L. vorācitas, f. vorāci-, vorax: see VORACIOUS a. and -ITY.] The quality or character of being voracious; greediness in eating.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 99 b. Voracite or gredynesse in eatyng,… sayth, O, how hungry I am.
1584. Lodge, Alarm agst. Usurers, F iij. What though you cloath your selues in simplicitie of Doues, and your inwarde habite be worse then the voracite of Wolues.
1615. G. Sandys, Trav., 18. Those that with the rarities of the earth do pamper their voracities.
1638. Sir T. Herbert, Trav. (ed. 2), 241. No people in the world have better stomacks, drinke more, or more affect voracity.
1652. Earl Monm., trans. Bentivoglio’s Hist. Relat., 64. This Army is like a great Animall which lives in continual voracity.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), III. 399. The animal’s voracity is greater than its feelings, and it never seizes without bringing down its prey.
1833. J. Rennie, Alph. Angling, 6. To me it appears much more probable, that … fishes have intervals more or less extended of fasting, after which they eat with great voracity.
1868. Peard, Water-farm., xvi. 164. Innumerable Anecdotes have been related regarding the voracity of this fish [the pike].
1891. Farrar, Darkn. & Dawn, xxvi. Who is that extremely stout personage … who is devouring his dainties with such brutal voracity?
b. transf. and fig. Also const. of.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 47. What a Nature is that which feedeth the most greedie voracitie in the whole world [sc. that of fire] without losse of it selfe?
1638. Sir T. Herbert, Trav. (ed. 2), 274. In Iberia also and Armenia they entred with no lesse voracity.
1664. H. More, Apology, 496. The fierceness and voracity of what we ordinarily call Fire.
a. 1701. Maundrell, Journ. Jerus. (1721), 62. The voracity of time … has left nothing but a few Foundations remaining.
1779. Johnson, L. P., Pope, Wks. IV. 46. Pope’s voracity of fame taught him the art of obtaining the accumulated honour both of what he had published, and of what he had suppressed.
1860. Emerson, Cond. Life, Wealth, Wks. (Bohn), II. 358. The eating quality of debt does not relax its voracity. Ibid., Consid., 421. Afflicting other souls … with ministrations to its voracity of trifles.
