appetence

See also: appétence

English

Etymology

Circa 1600, from French appétence, from Latin appetentia, from appetere (“to seek after”). Doublet of appetite.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈæp.ɪ.təns/

Noun

appetence (countable and uncountable, plural appetences)

1. The state or action of desiring or craving.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 610 and 614–616:

     [T]hat fair femal Troop […] / Bred onely and completed to the taſte / Of luſtful appetence, to ſing, to dance, / To dreſs, and troule the Tongue, and roule the Eye.

   • 1895, Arthur Machen, The Three Impostors:

     The days passed quickly; I could see that the professor was all quivering with suppressed excitement, and I could scarce credit the eager appetence of his glance as we left the old manor house behind us, and began our journey.

   • 1974, Davenport, Tatlin!:

     They had assumed the wild sweet freedom of jacking off in their inviolable privacy. Their appetence became resilient with repetition.

Translations

the state or action of desiring or craving

• French: appétence (fr) f
• Portuguese: apetência (pt) f