ravens
ravens — noun
- ravenssingular
- ravensesplural
1. a black bird that is bigger than a crow, with dark shiny feathers, a thick beak,
a black bird that is bigger than a crow, with dark shiny feathers, a thick beak, and a long tail that comes to a point.
A raven perched on the old oak tree outside Noa's window.
The hikers watched a raven soar above the rocky mountain trail.
At the park, Sofia saw a raven use a stick to pull food from a tube.
A flock of ravens gathered in the frozen field looking for food.
In the cold morning, a raven called out from the bare branches.
用法筆記
Ravens appear in the folklore and mythology of many cultures, often as clever or mysterious characters. At the Tower of London, ravens are kept as part of a well-known British tradition.
常見錯誤
ravens — adjective
- ravenspositive
- more ravenscomparative
- most ravenssuperlative
1. having a deep, glossy black color, used to describe someone's hair.
having a deep, glossy black color, used to describe someone's hair.
Manuela has long, raven hair that shines like silk in the sunlight.
collocation: raven hair
The actress wore her raven hair pulled back in a simple braid.
Selim brushed his raven hair before the family photo session.
The painting showed a woman with raven hair and pale blue eyes.
用法筆記
This sense of 'raven' is almost always used before a noun to describe hair. It is rarely used for other black objects (e.g. 'raven coat' sounds unnatural).
常見錯誤
ravens — verb
- ravenspresent simple I / you / we / they
- ravenses3rd person singular
- ravensing-ing form
- ravensedpast simple
1. to eat food very quickly and hungrily, taking large amounts in a way that seems
to eat food very quickly and hungrily, taking large amounts in a way that seems uncontrolled.
The stray cats ravened the fish scraps left by the fishermen.
literary usage; raven + direct object
After the long hike, the group ravened their sandwiches without pausing to talk.
The wolves ravened the remains of the deer in the forest clearing.
The hungry children ravened the bowls of rice before their parents sat down.
- nibble
to eat in small, careful bites
用法筆記
This verb is very rare in modern English and mostly appears in literary or poetic writing. The more common word for this meaning is 'devour' or 'wolf down'.
2. to move through an area searching for food, like a wild animal hunting for its n
to move through an area searching for food, like a wild animal hunting for its next meal.
The foxes ravened through the farmyard looking for chickens.
raven + through [place]
Bears ravened in the woods near the camp all summer long.
The starving dogs ravened around the village for any scraps of meat.
Raccoons ravened through the garbage bins behind the restaurant every night.
文法句型
raven + for/around/through
用法筆記
This sense is also very rare in modern English. The more common alternatives are 'prowl', 'hunt', or 'forage'.
3. to take things from a place by force, causing damage or destruction, especially
to take things from a place by force, causing damage or destruction, especially during a war or conflict.
The invaders ravened the coastal town, taking everything of value.
archaic; raven + place for plundering
The soldiers ravened the village's food stores during the war.
Pirates ravened the merchant ship and left it drifting at sea.
The raiders ravened the monastery's library, taking ancient books and gold.
用法筆記
This is an archaic sense rarely used today. The more common modern words are 'plunder', 'loot', or 'ransack'.