Appetite

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈæpɪtaɪt/

Definitions

1. A natural desire or inclination to consume food, or more broadly, a strong wish or craving for something
2. A fundamental yearning for sustenance or nourishment, and additionally, a deep-seated longing or desire for various experiences or achievements
3. An intrinsic tendency to seek food intake, which can also refer to a person's enthusiastic desire for specific activities or objects

Etymology: Latin "appetere" literally meant "to strive after" or "to long for," built from "ad" ("toward") and "petere" ("to seek"). That same "petere" gave English "petition," so a petition and an appetite are distant cousins: both are things reaching toward something sought. The hunger sense is the one most readers know, but the Latin root was broader, covering any eager reaching for a goal. The word came into English in Middle English as "appetit," borrowed through Old French "apetit" (modern French "appétit"). Its early uses carried that same sense of strong desire, which is why the word can describe a craving for knowledge or success as easily as a craving for food.

Synonyms: hunger, desire, craving

Antonyms: aversion, disinterest