Coveters

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who strongly desire or long for things that belong to others
2. People who yearn for possessions or attributes that they perceive others as having
3. Those who obsessively seek or envy what others possess, often wishing to obtain it for themselves

Etymology: "Coveters" is simply the plural of "coveter," formed from the verb "covet" with the agent suffix "-er," meaning one who covets. "Covet" itself came into English from Old French "coveitier," which in turn descends from Latin "cupiditas," the root that also gave English "cupidity." The Latin ancestor had a broad sense of desire, and the English verb settled into the narrower idea of wanting what belongs to someone else, which is the sense that gives "coveters" its particular sting. The noun is a straightforward derivation rather than a word with a dramatic backstory. Its meaning follows directly from the verb: a coveter is someone whose desire is aimed at what others hold. The plural form simply applies the regular English rule of adding "-s" to a count noun.