What is "raven"

Raven \Ra"ven\ (r[=a]"v'n), n. [AS. hr[ae]fn; akin to D. raaf, G. rabe, OHG. hraban, Icel. hrafn, Dan. ravn, and perhaps to L. corvus, Gr. ko`rax. [root]19.] (Zo["o]l.) A large black passerine bird ( Corvus corax), similar to the crow, but larger, and has a harsh, loud call. It is native of the northern parts of Europe, Asia and America, and is noted for its sagacity.

Sea raven (Zo["o]l.), the cormorant.

Raven \Ra"ven\, a. Of the color of the raven; jet black; as, raven curls; raven darkness.

Raven \Rav"en\ (r[a^]v"'n), n. [OF. ravine impetuosity, violence, F. ravine ravine. See Ravine, Rapine.] [Written also ravin, and ravine.]

1. Rapine; rapacity.
   --Ray.

2. Prey; plunder; food obtained by violence.

Raven \Rav"en\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ravened (r[a^]v"'nd); p. pr. & vb. n. Ravening.] [Written also ravin, and ravine.]

1. To obtain or seize by violence.
   --Hakewill.

2. To devour with great eagerness.

   Like rats that ravin down their proper bane.
   --Shak.

Raven \Rav"en\, v. i. To prey with rapacity; to be greedy; to show rapacity.

Benjamin shall raven as a wolf.
--Gen. xlix. 27.

Old English hræfn (Mercian), hrefn; hræfn (Northumbrian, West Saxon), from Proto-Germanic *khrabanas (cognates: Old Norse hrafn, Danish ravn, Dutch raaf, Old High German hraban, German Rabe "raven," Old English hroc "rook"), from PIE root *ker- (2), imitative of harsh sounds (cognates: Latin crepare "to creak, clatter," cornix "crow," corvus "raven;" Greek korax "raven," korone "crow;" Old Church Slavonic kruku "raven;" Lithuanian krauklys "crow"). Raven mythology shows considerable homogeneity throughout the whole area [northern regions of the northern hemisphere] in spite of differences in detail. The Raven peeps forth from the mists of time and the thickets of mythology, as a bird of slaughter, a storm bird, a sun and fire bird, a messenger, an oracular figure and a craftsman or culture hero. [Edward A. Armstrong, "The Folklore of Birds," 1958]Old English also used hræmn, hremm. The raven standard was the flag of the Danish Vikings. The Quran connects the raven with Cain's murder of Abel; but in Christianity the bird plays a positive role in the stories of St. Benedict, St. Paul the Hermit, St. Vincent, etc. It was anciently believed to live to great old age, but the ancients also believed it wanting in parental care. The vikings, like Noah, were said to have used the raven to discover land. "When uncertain of their course they let one loose, and steered the vessel in his track, deeming that the land lay in the direction of his flight; if he returned to the ship, it was supposed to be at a distance" [Charles Swainson, "The Folk Lore and Provincial Names of British Birds," London, 1886].

Etymology 1

1. Of the color of the raven; jet-black n. A common name for several, generally large and lustrous black species of birds in the genus ''Corvus'', especially the common raven, ''Corvus corax''. Etymology 2

   alt. 1 rapine; rapacity. 2 prey; plunder; food obtained by violence. n. 1 rapine; rapacity. 2 prey; plunder; food obtained by violence. v

2. 1 (context archaic English) To obtain or seize by violence. 2 To devour with great eagerness. 3 To prey with rapacity; to be greedy; to show rapacity.

n. large black bird with a straight bill and long wedge-shaped tail [syn: Corvus corax]

1. v. obtain or seize by violence

2. prey on or hunt for; "These mammals predate certain eggs" [syn: prey, predate]

3. eat greedily; "he devoured three sandwiches" [syn: devour, guttle, pig]

4. feed greedily; "The lions ravened the bodies"

A raven is one of several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus, but share similar characteristics and appearances that generally separate them from other crows. The largest raven species are the common raven and the thick-billed raven.

Raven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus.

Raven may also refer to:

is a character from the Tekken fighting game series released by Namco Bandai Games. Raven was introduced in Tekken 5 and he has returned for all subsequent games. He is a ninja of black African descent who works for a mysterious government intelligence agency and is considered highly skilled and iron-hearted. To date, despite not being of Japanese origin, Raven is actually the most traditional (and some would say even lightly accurate) ninja in the Tekken series.

Scott Levy (born September 8, 1964) is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name, Raven. A journeyman, he is known for his appearances with professional wrestling promotions including Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/E) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). Widely recognized as "one of the best talkers in wrestling", Raven is known for his "psychological heel tactics" and grunge-inspired gimmick. His feud with The Sandman in the mid-1990s has been described as "one of the most emotional rivalries in sports-entertainment's history".

Championships held by Raven over the course of his career include the ECW World Heavyweight Championship, ECW World Tag Team Championship, NWA World Heavyweight Championship, WCW Light Heavyweight Championship, WCW United States Heavyweight Championship, WCW World Tag Team Championship and WWF/E Hardcore Championship. He is recognized as the most decorated wrestler in the history of WWE with 32 separate title reigns under the WWE, WCW and ECW banners, including a record 27 reigns as WWF/E Hardcore Champion.

Raven is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a special insert in DC Comics Presents #26 (October 1980), and was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez. The daughter of a demon father ( Trigon) and human mother ( Arella), Raven is an empath who can teleport and control her " soul-self", which can fight physically, as well as act as Raven's eyes and ears away from her physical body. She is a prominent member of the superhero team Teen Titans. The character also goes by the alias Rachel Roth.

Raven are an English heavy metal band associated with the new wave of British heavy metal movement. They had a hit with the single "On and On", and refer to their music as "athletic rock".

Raven is a British television series made for ITV by ATV in 1977.

The series starred Phil Daniels in the title role as a former borstal inmate sent on a rehabilitation programme, assisting an archaeology professor in his excavation of a system of caves and who subsequently is compelled to fight a plan to build a nuclear plant on the site. The cave system is connected to the legend of King Arthur. The programme consistently featured the sign of Pluto as a symbol for Phil Daniels' quest.

Other cast members in the serial included Michael Aldridge, Patsy Rowlands, James Kerry, Shirley Cheriton and Tenniel Evans. An episode of this series is available to view at the National Media Museum in Bradford, UK.

The whole series of six parts has long been believed to be incomplete in the archives, until Network DVD, an independent DVD publishing company that specialises in classic British television, unearthed the original 2” VT tapes. Network released the series on DVD in 2010, with a limited release period scheduled to end in April 2012.

Raven is a multi- BAFTA-winning BBC Scotland children's adventure game show that aired on CBBC in the United Kingdom from 16 December 2002 to 7 September 2010 over the course of ten series, with three spin-off series. It was hosted by James Mackenzie in the title role, who conducts a group of children, known as warriors, over five days through a series of tasks and feats. At various stages in the adventure, the group loses the least successful warrior, until two go through to the final week to compete for the title of Ultimate Warrior.

Raven is an American TV series that originally aired on CBS in 1992-1993. This hour-long action drama featured martial arts, adventure, humor, mystery and secret societies.

1. redirect Taboo (film series)#Taboo American Style 1

es:Raven (Nelly-Marie Vickers) ja:レイヴン (女優)

Raven was an influential rock/ blues band formed in 1967 in Buffalo, New York, and active until 1970.

Raven: The Untold Story of the Rev. Jim Jones and His People details the life and ultimate demise of Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple. Written by journalist Tim Reiterman, the book reviews the history of the Peoples Temple. The book includes numerous interviews, audio tapes and documents among its hundreds of sources.

The Raven is a fictional superhero character who first appeared in the Ace Comics title Sure-Fire Comics. He is based on the pulp hero "The Moon Man" published by Periodic House, the pulp publisher connected to Ace Comics.

R.A.V.E.N. Respecting Aboriginal Values & Environmental Needs is a charitable organization that provides financial resources to assist Aboriginal Nations within Canada in lawfully forcing industrial development to be reconciled with their traditional ways of life, and in a manner that addresses global warming or other ecological sustainability challenges.

Raven is a surname, and may refer to:

• Andrew Raven, Scottish conservationist
• Arlene Raven, art historian, author and feminist
• Bertram Raven (born 1926), American academic
• Charles Raven (disambiguation)
• Charlotte Raven, British author and journalist
• Cliff Raven, pioneering American tattoo artist
• David Raven (disambiguation)
• Eddy Raven (born 1944), American singer and songwriter
• Ernst Raven (1804–1881), immigrant from Germany who became a prominent resident of Texas
• John Raven (1914–1980), English classical scholar and amateur botanist
• Julius A. Raven (1918–1942), United States navy officer, pilot, and Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal recipient
• Leonard Raven-Hill, English artist and illustrator
• Marion Raven (born 1984), Norwegian singer-songwriter and former child actress
• Paul Raven (disambiguation)
• Peter H. Raven (born 1936), botanist and environmentalist
• Robert J. Raven, Australian arachnologist
• Simon Raven, novelist, journalist and dramatist
• Vincent Raven (1859–1934), British locomotive engineer

David Petruschin (born April 8, 1979), better known by his stage name Raven, is an American drag queen from Riverside, California. He was the best contestant of second season of RuPaul's Drag Race and also the runner up of its all-stars counterpart, RuPaul's All Stars Drag Race and followed that up with regular appearances on all three seasons of RuPaul's Drag U alongside fellow season 2 competitors Morgan McMichaels, Pandora Boxx, and Jujubee.

Raven is a unisex given name in the English language. In the United States of America, the name is more commonly used as a feminine name, and has ranked amongst the top 1,000 feminine names given to baby girls since 1977.