Dictionary of English - ravage or ravish

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

To ravage is to destroy or lay waste: The storms ravaged the wood, uprooting many trees. To ravish is to seize and carry off by force, and hence to rape (which originally meant carrying off a woman with the aim of forcing her to have sex): The dog was living wild and farmers feared it could ravage their flocks. From this bad 'carrying off' sense came the good one of 'transporting' with delight: The visitors were ravished by the beauty of the landscape before them.

The number of stripes changed frequently until around 1800. Red, white, and blue became the colours of liberty and an inspiration for other revolutionary flags around the world. Effective date: 19 February 1937. >>