ravish

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To seize and carry away by violence; to snatch by force.

   Again, he refers to "such ministers as discharge their ministry amiss; ravishing away the goods of the widows and fatherless; and serve themselves, not others out of those things which they have received.

2. 2
   verb

   To transport with joy or delight; to delight to ecstasy.

   That in things that do ravish with delight, men were not Masters of themselves, nor could they remember Gallateo's Rules; and that in time of Carnival, it was lawful to commit exorbitances.

3. 3
   verb

   To rape.

   For loe that Guest would beare her forcibly, / And meant to ravish her, that rather had to dy.

4. 4
   verb

   hold spellbound

5. 5
   verb

   force (someone) to have sex against their will

6. 6
   verb

   To have vigorous sexual intercourse with.

Etymology

From Middle English ravyschen, from Anglo-Norman, from Old French ravis-, present participle stem of ravir (“to seize; to take away hastily”), from Vulgar Latin *rapire, from Latin rapere. See also rape.