Appetite
/ˈæp.ɪ.taɪt/noun
A natural desire to eat or, more broadly, a strong desire for something.
Did you know?Appetite comes from Latin *appetitus*, meaning “a striving for” or “an attack toward,” from *ad-* (“to”) + *petere* (“to seek, rush at, aim at”), the same root behind words of seeking, aiming, and petitioning.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pet-
“to rush at, seek, fly toward”
Latin
Latin
petere
“to seek, request, aim at, attack”
Latin
Latin
appetere
“to strive after, seek eagerly, desire”
Latin
Latin
appetitus
“a striving for, desire, inclination”
Middle English
English
appetit
“desire, longing, especially for food”
Modern English
English
appetite
“a desire to eat or a general craving”