large voracious fish of the West Indies and Florida, 1670s, barracoutha, from American Spanish barracuda, which is perhaps from a Carib word.
"large, voracious species of salt-water eel," c. 1300, from Latin conger "sea-eel," from Greek gongros "conger," which is often considered to be Pre-Greek.
"scheming, licentious, sexually voracious woman," by 1795, in reference to Valeria Messalina (died 48 C.E.), notorious third wife of the Roman emperor Claudius, long a figure of vanity and immorality.
also pirana, piraya, "voracious carnivorous fish of tropical America," 1869, from Portuguese piranha, from Tupi (Brazil) pira nya, probably literally "biting-fish," with pira "fish."
"type of long, slender, voracious freshwater fish," early 14c., pik (mid-12c. in place names), probably short for pike-fish, a special use of pike (n.2) in reference to the fish's long, pointed jaw, and in part from French brochet "pike" (fish), from broche "a roasting spit." In Middle English, proverbial for health and vigor.
"voracious, savage," late 14c., present-participle adjective from an extinct verb ravine, raven "to prey, to plunder, devour greedily" (mid-14c.), from Old French raviner, ravinier "to seize, pillage" (see raven (v.)). It is etymologically related to ravenous, but not to raven (n.). Related: Raveningly.
