Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Strongly desirous; eager.
  • adjective Archaic Thirsty.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Thirsty; wanting drink.
  • Figuratively, having a keen appetite or desire.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Wanting drink; thirsty.
  • adjective Having a keen appetite or desire; eager; longing.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective archaic Thirsty.
  • adjective figuratively Eager or extremely desirous (for something).

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective (usually followed by `for') extremely desirous

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Old English ofþyrst.

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Examples

  • 'Kings! ye athirst for conquest,' etc. _You_ are not _athirst_ for it but _take it coolly_. "

    The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 17, No. 103, May, 1866 Various

  • Not alone, had Ngurn informed him, was the Red One more bestial powerful than the neighbour tribal gods, ever athirst for the red blood of living human sacrifices, but the neighbour gods themselves were sacrificed and tormented before him.

    THE RED ONE 2010

  • Therefore, I can gather to me no more possessions, and when ye are athirst for hooch, he will quench ye and without robbery.

    A HYPERBOREAN BREW 2010

  • And when it was afloat all the chiefs were athirst, not being used to such toil; and I was told to climb the palms beside the canoe-sheds and throw down drink-coconuts.

    THE BONES OF KAHEKILI 2010

  • Therefore, I can gather to me no more possessions, and when ye are athirst for hooch, he will quench ye and without robbery.

    A HYPERBOREAN BREW 2010

  • We fell on each other like old chums - he didn't know me well, you see, but mostly by my fearsome reputation; he was one of your play-up-and-fear-God paladins, full of zeal and athirst for glory, was John, and said his prayers and didn't drink and thought women were either nuns or mothers.

    Fiancée 2010

  • They started on the old "Very kind, lads, God bless you, boys," and so we rang the collocol and brought a different waiter in this time and we ordered beers with rum in, being sore athirst, my brothers, and whatever the old ptitsas wanted.

    Where's the show? John Myles Aavedal 2010

  • My soul is athirst for God, yea, even for the living God :

    Archive 2009-06-01 bls 2009

  • Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.

    The Dor�� Gallery of Bible Illustrations 2008

  • But the ardent and active spirit of Lady Penelope, still athirst after novelty, though baffled in her two first projects, brought forward a third, in which she was more successful.

    Saint Ronan's Well 2008

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