Happy Friday!
It's May! A month of good holidays, such as May Day (today), Star Wars Day (May 4), Cinco de Mayo (May 5), Mother's Day (May 10) and Memorial Day in the US (May 25). Plus many national and international unofficial holidays, many of which are related to food, chocolate and wine, not to mention animals and other creatures (turtles, dinosaurs). So much to celebrate!
The laptop computer that I used at home and traveled with decided to kick the bucket (apropos last week's post) about 2 weeks ago, which is always a traumatic experience. Its (much better) replacement is now in service, thanks to the hard work of Dylan, an IT specialist, who managed to migrate everything over to my new laptop on Wednesday. During the process, he mentioned that one of the functions he was working on had "voracity", a term that one of his computer science professors in college used. I admit that I had never thought about voracity in the context of IT or the reincarnation of a dead laptop (mine came back as a different brand at a higher price). I told Dylan that I would use that word this week.
Voracity, a noun, comes from the Latin voracitas (which came from vorax) and vorare meaning "to devour". It was first used in 1526. Voraciousness, albeit more cumbersome to articulate, is an English substitute. Regardless, these are literal and figurative appetites that simply cannot be quelled (Webster) or the state of being very eager to have a lot of something, including food (Cambridge). The latter implies massive, insatiable, gluttonous overeating.
Some examples of this word being used in a sentence:
"The insects feed with astonishing voracity."
"Her voracity for reading was marked by her overflowing bookshelves, too much money spent at her favorite bookstore and the fact that she read at least one book a day."
"He was filled with such a voracity for working out that it could only be filled by spending 3 hours at the gym every day."
The adjective, of course, is voracious: a voracious reader, exerciser, eater, consumer, etc.
I am trying to decide when one crosses the line of loving to do something, like eat, read or exercise (you fill in the blank) and being voracious. Compared with enthusiasm, voracity often has a negative or neutral connotation and is a more relentless desire. Voracity is more about consuming and "taking in", while drivenness focuses on achieving an internal goal or "pushing forward". Frankly, I am just trying to make myself feel better that my passion for eating chocolate is not really voracity. As I turned down the offer for a piece of chocolate cake at the IT center yesterday morning when I picked up the dead carcass of my old laptop, I think I'm okay.
So how do computer software and voracity go together? Perhaps my old laptop, which I purchased less than 4 years ago, was really "born" with an insatiable need to die. It certainly gave me a lot of trouble during life. Computer viruses have voracity to destroy (mine wasn't infected). Of perhaps there is another aspect of the software that makes it voracious that is part of the secret society of computer experts. I would like to be enlightened.
After a few laps around the Maypole today (not to be confused with pole dancing), impress your friends and use the word in a sentence this weekend. Have fun and enjoy doing – or eating – something you love. Pass the chocolate, please.
Deb
Here's some happy voracity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6FBfAQ-NDE