Word of the Day

: November 19, 2006

esurient

adjective ih-SUR-ee-unt

What It Means

: hungry, greedy

esurient in Context

Esurient for an even larger share of the local real estate market, the developer made an aggressive bid for the apartment complex.

Did You Know?

If you're hungry for a new way to express your hunger, you might find that "esurient" fits your palate. Be forewarned, however, that when used literally "esurient" has a humorous flavor. This somewhat obscure word first appeared in English in the second half of the 17th century, deriving from the present participle of the Latin verb "esurire," meaning "to be hungry." It is also related to "edere," the Latin verb for "eat," which has given us such scrumptious fare as "edible" and its synonyms "esculent" and "comestible." "Esurient" can be used somewhat playfully to suggest an actual hunger for food, but it is more often applied to such things as wealth or power. In the latter contexts, it takes on the connotation of "greedy."