raven
Part of speech: noun
adj
Morphological type: simple
Topics: fiction
literature
media
publishing
Etymology: From Middle English raven, reven (“raven (Corvus corax); carrion crow (Corvus corone); rook (Corvus frugilegus) (?); the constellation Corvus; gall nuts of the Aleppo oak (Quercus infectoria) used to make black ink”), from Old English hræfn (“raven”), from Proto-West Germanic *hrabn (“raven”), from Proto-Germanic *hrabnaz (“raven”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *ḱrep- (“to crackle; to rattle”) or *ḱer- (“to croak, crow”), probably ultimately onomatopoeic, referring to the bird’s call.
Inflected forms:
form: ravens
pos: noun
tags: plural
Senses:
gloss: Any of several, generally large, species of birds in the genus Corvus with lustrous black plumage; especially the common raven (Corvus corax).
pos: noun
tags: countable
examples: Some ſay that Rauens foſter forlorne children, / The vvhilſt their ovvne birds famiſh in their neſts: / Oh be to me though thy hard hart ſay no, / Nothing ſo kinde but ſomething pittifull.
Thus like the ſad preſaging Rauen that tolls / The ſick mans paſſeport in her hollovv beake, / And in the ſhadovv of the ſilent night / Doth ſhake contagion from her ſable vvings; / Vex'd and tormented runnes poore Barabas / VVith fatall curſes tovvards theſe Chriſtians.
[T]he Danes bare in their Enſigne a Raven vvrought (by report) in needle-vvorke, by the daughters of Lothbroke that is, Leather-breech, […]
Hee beareth Or, a Rauen Proper, by the name of Corbet.
As from an ancestral oak / Two empty ravens sound their clarion, / Yell by yell, and croak by croak, / When they scent the noonday smoke / Of fresh human carrion: […]
If the men of Thule have ceased to be champions, and to spread the banquet for the raven, the women have not forgotten the arts that lifted them of yore into queens and prophetesses.
All is silent and melancholy, unless when the mournful bleeting of the hemmed in Deer reaches your ear, or the dismal scream of an Eagle or a Raven is heard, as the foul bird rises, disturbed by your approach, from the carcass on which it was allaying its craving appetite.
The raven, with his head very much on one side, and his bright eye shining like a diamond, preserved a thoughtful silence for a few seconds, and then replied in a voice so hoarse and distant, that it seemed to come through his thick feathers rather than out of his mouth. "Halloa, halloa, halloa! What's the matter here! Keep up your spirits. Never say die. Bow wow wow. I'm a devil, I'm a devil, I'm a devil. Hurrah!"
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven, / Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore— / Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!" / Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."
There comes Poe with his raven, like Barnaby Rudge, / Three-fifths of him genius and two-fifths fudge, / […] / Who has written some things quite the best of their kind, / But the heart somehow seems all squeezed out by the mind, […]
A blot in heaven, the Raven, flying high, / Croak'd, and she thought 'he spies a field of death; / For now the Heathen of the Northern Sea, / Lured by the crimes and frailties of the court, / Begin to slay the folk, and spoil the land.'
gloss: Any of several, generally large, species of birds in the genus Corvus with lustrous black plumage; especially the common raven (Corvus corax).
pos: noun
tags: uncountable
examples: Near-synonyms: ebony, onyx
A lone man walks the shores of Nantucket; his noble form is slightly bent, and with the raven of his hair is blended the faintest tinge of gray, though he is evidently a man to whom the meridian of life is yet far in the distance; […]
gloss: Any of several, generally large, species of birds in the genus Corvus with lustrous black plumage; especially the common raven (Corvus corax).
pos: noun
tags: archaic
countable
examples: The horned Indian Raven or Topau, called the Rhinoceros Bird [section heading]. This horned Bird as it caſts a ſtrong ſmell, ſo it hath a foul look, much exceeding the European Raven in bigneſs.
VVhen the great ſea-raven, as Jacobſon informs us, comes to take avvay their young, the puffins boldly oppoſe him. […] As ſoon as the raven approaches, the puffin catches him under the throat vvith its beak, and ſticks its clavvs into his breaſt, vvhich makes the raven, vvith a loud ſcreaming, attempt to get avvay; […]
Along the wild mountains night-ravens were yelling— / They bodingly presaged destruction and woe.
gloss: Any of several, generally large, species of birds in the genus Corvus with lustrous black plumage; especially the common raven (Corvus corax).
pos: noun
tags: countable
historical
gloss: Any of several, generally large, species of birds in the genus Corvus with lustrous black plumage; especially the common raven (Corvus corax).
pos: noun
tags: historical
metonymically
uncountable
examples: Behold the vvarrior bright vvith Daniſh ſpoils!— / The raven droops his vvings—and hark! the trumpet, / Exulting, ſpeaks the reſt.
gloss: Any of several, generally large, species of birds in the genus Corvus with lustrous black plumage; especially the common raven (Corvus corax).
pos: noun
tags: countable
gloss: A person who brings bad news or makes pessimistic predictions.
pos: noun
tags: countable
figuratively
obsolete
examples: Ric[hard]. Novv y'ave ſpoke it halfe; 'tis ſinking I muſt treate of; / Your ſhips are all ſunke. / […] / M[istress] Foſt[er]. O thou fatall Raven; Let me pull thine eyes out for this / Sad croake.
Mal[icorn]. O my dear Lord, upon this onely day / Depends the ſeries of your follovving Fate: / Think your good Genius has aſſum'd my ſhape / In this Prophetick doom. / Guiſe. Peace croaking Raven, / I'le ſeize him firſt, then make him a led Monarch; […]
Some ravens have alvvays indeed croaked out this kind of ſong. They have a malignant delight in preſaging miſchief vvhen they are not employed in doing it: they are miſerable and diſapointed at every inſtance of the public proſperity.
gloss: Of the jet-black and often glossy colour of the plumage of a raven (etymology 1, noun sense 1).
pos: adj
tags: not-comparable
examples: Near-synonyms: ebony, onyx
raven curls    raven darkness
She was a tall, sophisticated, raven-haired beauty.
Hovv ſvveetly did they float upon the vvings / Of Silence, through the emptie-vaulted night / At every fall ſmoothing the Raven dovvne / Of darkneſſe till ſhe ſmil'd: […]
Thus o'er the proſtrate city black Deſpair / Extends her raven vving; […]
A vvond'rous Boy [Váli] ſhall Rinda bear, / VVho ne'er ſhall comb his raven-hair, […]
A leafless tree and barren of all fruit, / With darkness feeds her boughs of raven grain.
[…] I beheld a countenance of angelic beauty and expression. Her hair of a shining raven black, and curiously braided; her eyes were dark, but gentle, although animated; her features of a regular proportion, and her complexion wondrously fair, each cheek tinged with a lovely pink.
From her mother, Minna inherited the stately form and dark eyes, the raven locks and finely-pencilled brows, which shewed she was, on one side at least, a stranger to the blood of Thule.
[S]ome grown girl, the pride of the family, stepping barefoot and straight as an arrow, with braids of raven hair, a thick, haughty profile, and no load to carry but the small guitar of the country and a pair of soft leather sandals tied together on her back.
[T]he word "Ravenswood" came into his head repeatedly. It was partly the raven colour of the pine-woods; but partly also an indescribable atmosphere almost described in [Walter] Scott's great tragedy; […]
Related words: unkindness
Derived words: as the raven flies
Indian raven
night-raven
nonraven
Ravenclaw
Raven Crown
ravendom
ravenduck
raven's duck
ravenette
raven fish
raven-foot, raven's foot
ravenhood
ravenish
ravenless
ravenlike
ravenly
ravenmaster
raven-messenger
Raven Mocker
ravenness
raven paradox
raven parrot
ravenry
raven's bill
raven's bone
raven's book
raven's eye
ravenstone
sea raven
water raven
Translations:
lang: Afrikaans
word: kraai
lang: Albanian
word: korb
lang: Southern Altai
word: кускун
roman: kuskun
lang: Arabic
word: غُرَاب
roman: ḡurāb
lang: Arabic
word: غراب
roman: ḡurāb
lang: Arabic
word: غراب
roman: ḡurāb
lang: Armenian
word: ագռավ
roman: agṙav
lang: Aromanian
word: corbu
lang: Assamese
word: ঢোঁৰাকাউৰী
roman: dhü̃rakauri
lang: Early Assamese
word: ঢোণ্ডাকাউৰ
roman: ḍhöṇḍakauro
lang: Early Assamese
word: ঢোণ্ডাকাক
roman: ḍhöṇḍakako
lang: Asturian
word: cuervu
lang: Avar
word: чӏегӏергъеду
roman: čʼeʻerğedu
lang: Avar
word: нухъа
roman: nuqxa
lang: Azerbaijani
word: quzğun
lang: Bashkir
word: ҡоҙғон
roman: qoźğon
lang: Basque
word: erroi
lang: Belarusian
word: крумка́ч
roman: krumkáč
lang: Belarusian
word: во́ран
roman: vóran
lang: Bengali
word: দাঁড়কাক
roman: dãṛokak
lang: Breton
word: bran
lang: Breton
word: marc'hvran
lang: Bulgarian
word: га́рван
roman: gárvan
lang: Catalan
word: corb
lang: Chechen
word: хьаргӏа
roman: ḥʳarğa
lang: Cherokee
word: ᎪᎸᏅ
roman: golvnv
lang: Cherokee
word: ᎪᎳᏅ
roman: golanv
lang: Chichewa
word: khungubwi
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 渡鴉 /渡鸦
roman: dùyā
lang: Chinese Mandarin
word: 烏鴉 /乌鸦
roman: wūyā
lang: Chuvash
word: ҫӑхан
roman: śăh̬an
lang: East Circassian
word: вынд
roman: vənd
lang: West Circassian
word: къолэжъ
roman: qʷolɛẑ
lang: West Circassian
word: цунды
roman: cʷundə
lang: Maore Comorian
word: kwai
lang: Coptic
word: ⲁⲃⲱⲕ
roman: abōk
lang: Cornish
word: bran vras
lang: Montagnais
word: kakatshu
lang: Czech
word: krkavec
lang: Danish
word: ravn
lang: Dutch
word: raaf
lang: Elfdalian
word: kuorp
lang: Esperanto
word: korvo
lang: Esperanto
word: korako
lang: Estonian
word: kaaren
lang: Estonian
word: ronk
lang: Estonian
word: korp
lang: Even
word: олиндьа
roman: olinʒa
lang: Ewe
word: akpaviã
lang: Faroese
word: ravnur
lang: Faroese
word: krunkur
lang: Faroese
word: gorpur
lang: Finnish
word: korppi
lang: Finnish
word: kaarne
lang: French
word: grand corbeau
lang: French
word: corbeau
lang: West-Frisian
word: raven
lang: Friulian
word: corvat
lang: Galician
word: corvo carnazal
lang: Galician
word: corvo
lang: Georgian
word: ყორანი
roman: q̇orani
lang: German
word: Rabe
lang: German
word: Kolkrabe
lang: Greek
word: κόρακας
roman: kórakas
lang: Greek
word: κοράκι
roman: koráki
lang: Ancient Greek
word: κόραξ
roman: kórax
lang: Greenlandic
word: tulugaq
lang: Haida
word: x̱uuya
lang: Halkomelem
word: skwówéls
lang: Halkomelem
word: spaal'
lang: Hebrew
word: עורב
roman: 'orév
lang: Hebrew
word: עורב שחור
roman: 'orév shakhór
lang: Hindi
word: काला कौआ
roman: kālā kauā
lang: White Hmong
word: tus noog uab lag
lang: White Hmong
word: tus uab lag
lang: Hungarian
word: holló
lang: Icelandic
word: hrafn
lang: Icelandic
word: krummi
lang: Indonesian
word: gagak besar
lang: Ingrian
word: kronni
lang: Ingrian
word: korppi
lang: Ingush
word: хьаргӏа
roman: ḥʳarğa
lang: Irish
word: fiach
lang: Irish
word: fiach dubh
lang: Irish
word: bran
lang: Old Irish
word: bran
lang: Old Irish
word: fïach
lang: Old Irish
word: trogan
lang: Italian
word: corvo imperiale
lang: Japanese
word: 渡り鴉
roman: watarigarasu
lang: Japanese
word: 大鴉
roman: ōgarasu
lang: Javanese
word: gagak
lang: Kannada
word: ಕಾರ್ಗೊರಲಕಾಗೆ
roman: kārgoralakāge
lang: Karachay-Balkar
word: къузгъун
roman: quzğun
lang: Karakalpak
word: gʼargʼa
lang: Karakalpak
word: qargʼa
lang: Karok
word: xutnásak
lang: Khakas
word: харға
roman: xarğa
lang: Korean
word: 큰까마귀
roman: keunkkamagwi
lang: Kumyk
word: къузгъун
roman: quzğun
lang: Central Kurdish
word: داڵ
roman: dall
lang: Kwak'wala
word: ǥwa'wina
lang: Kyrgyz
word: карга
roman: karga
lang: Kyrgyz
word: кузгун
roman: kuzgun
lang: Ladin
word: corf
lang: Latgalian
word: krauklis
lang: Latin
word: corvus
lang: Latvian
word: krauklis
lang: Lithuanian
word: kranklys
lang: Lower Tanana
word: dotron'
lang: Low German
word: Raav
lang: Low German
word: Roov
lang: Low German
word: Raw
lang: Lushootseed
word: qaw'qs
lang: Luxembourgish
word: Ramm
lang: Macedonian
word: га́вран
roman: gávran
lang: Maltese
word: għorab
lang: Northern Mansi
word: хулах
roman: hulah
lang: Manx
word: feeagh
lang: Manx
word: feeagh mooar
lang: Marathi
word: डोमेकाव्ळा
roman: ḍomekāvḷā
lang: Eastern Mari
word: курныж
roman: kurnyž
lang: Megleno-Romanian
word: corb
lang: Mi'kmaq
word: gjiga'qaquj
lang: Mongolian
word: хар хэрээ
roman: xar xeree
lang: Nahuatl
word: cacalotl
lang: Nanai
word: холи
roman: holi
lang: Nanticoke
word: uck-quack
lang: Navajo
word: zhį́ʼii
lang: Tundra Nenets
word: хӑрна
roman: xărna
lang: Nogai
word: карга
roman: karga
lang: Norwegian
word: ravn
lang: Occitan
word: còrb
lang: Ojibwe
word: gaagaagi
lang: Old Church Slavonic
word: вранъ
roman: vranŭ
lang: Old English
word: hræfn
lang: Old Norse
word: hrafn
lang: Old Norse
word: korpr
lang: Old Turkic
word: 𐰴𐰆𐰕𐰍𐰆𐰣
lang: Persian
word: زاغ
roman: zâġ
lang: Persian
word: کلاغ
roman: kalâġ
lang: Persian
word: غراب
roman: ġorâb
lang: Plautdietsch
word: Rowen
lang: Polish
word: kruk
lang: Portuguese
word: corvo
lang: Proto-Norse
word: ᚺᚨᚱᚨᛒᚨᚾᚨᛉ
roman: harabanaʀ
lang: Quapaw
word: kkáɣe
lang: Romani
word: kakarachi
lang: Romani
word: kakarachka
lang: Romanian
word: corb
lang: Romansh
word: corv grond
lang: Russian
word: во́рон
roman: vóron
lang: Inari-Sami
word: káránâs
lang: Kildin-Sami
word: ка̄рьнэсь
roman: kār’nes’
lang: Lule-Sami
word: runnka
lang: Lule-Sami
word: gárránis
lang: Lule-Sami
word: gárjjá
lang: Northern Sami
word: gáranas
lang: Northern Sami
word: bulddogas
lang: Northern Sami
word: garjá
lang: Skolt-Sami
word: käärnõs
lang: Southern Sami
word: gaarenasse
lang: Southern Sami
word: krungke
lang: Sardinian
word: corbu
lang: Sardinian
word: crobu
lang: Sardinian
word: corvu
lang: Sardinian
word: colbu
lang: Sardinian
word: colvu
lang: Scots
word: corbie
lang: Scottish Gaelic
word: fitheach
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: га̏вра̄н
lang: Serbo-Croatian
word: gȁvrān
lang: Shor
word: қусқун
roman: qusqun
lang: Sicilian
word: corvu
lang: Sicilian
word: corbu
lang: Slovak
word: krkavec
lang: Slovene
word: krokar
lang: Slovene
word: vran
lang: Lower Sorbian
word: wron
lang: Lower Sorbian
word: grampak
lang: Upper Sorbian
word: rapak
lang: Spanish
word: cuervo
lang: Spanish
word: corneja
lang: Swahili
word: kunguru
lang: Swedish
word: korp
lang: Tajik
word: зоғ
roman: zoġ
lang: Tashelhit
word: ⴰⴽⴰⵢⵢⴰ
roman: akayya
lang: Tatar
word: козгын
roman: qozğın
lang: Thai
word: นกเรเวน
lang: Tibetan
word: ཀ་ཀ
roman: ka ka
lang: Tibetan
word: ཀ་གཉིས་པ
roman: ka gnyis pa
lang: Tibetan
word: བྱ་རོག
roman: bya rog
lang: Tibetan
word: ཁྭ
roman: khwa
lang: Tibetan
word: ཁྭ་ཏ
roman: khwa ta
lang: Tibetan
word: ཁྭ་ཁྭ
roman: khwa khwa
lang: Tibetan
word: ཕོ་རོག
roman: pho rog
lang: Tlingit
word: yéil
lang: Tofa
word: ӄусӄун
roman: qusqun
lang: Turkish
word: kuzgun
lang: Turkish
word: karakarga
lang: Ottoman Turkish
word: قوزغون
roman: kuzgun
lang: Tuvan
word: кускун
roman: kuskun
lang: Ukrainian
word: во́рон
roman: vóron
lang: Ukrainian
word: крук
roman: kruk
lang: Unami
word: winkeòhkwèt
lang: Urum
word: хузғун
lang: Urum
word: ғузғу
lang: Urum
word: хузғум
lang: Uyghur
word: قۇزغۇن
roman: quzghun
lang: Uzbek
word: quzgʻun
lang: Venetan
word: corvo
lang: Venetan
word: corf
lang: Vietnamese
word: quạ
lang: Vilamovian
word: rōw
lang: Volapük
word: rab
lang: Walloon
word: coirbå
lang: Welsh
word: brân
lang: Welsh
word: cigfran
lang: Woiwurrung
word: waa
lang: Yakut
word: суор
roman: suor
lang: Yiddish
word: ראָב
roman: rob
lang: Finnish
word: korppilippu