ravish = 'to ravage'

[victor steinbok]

"Ravished" is listed as adj. as late as 2002. And "ravaged" is a part
of the definition. Other definitions for "ravish" are also fairly
close, although not quite "devastate" or "lay waste".

VS-)

On Wed, Apr 13, 2011 at 10:52 AM, Jonathan Lighter
<wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com> wrote:
...
>
> What makes the usage interesting is that the OED sort of covers this in its
> def. 1a:  "To plunder, rob, steal from (a place, building, race or class of
> people, etc.); to devastate, lay waste to (a country). Also *fig.* *Obs."*
>
> Obviously "devastate, lay waste to" is the operative idea in both the locust
> and wartime exx. However, modern use may really be through confusion with
> "ravage," as OED lists nothing after 1674. (Bacon was the perhaps the most
> notable user, ca1619.)

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