Illustration of raven
: a large, glossy-black bird (Corvus corax) that is widely distributed in northern parts of the northern hemisphere but now rare in most areas of the eastern and central U.S. and that differs from the closely related common crow chiefly in its larger size and wedge-shaped tail and in having the feathers of the throat narrow and pointed resulting in a shaggy appearance
also
: any of various usually large and glossy black, corvine birds
: shiny and black like a raven's feathers
raven hair
ravened; ravening
ˈra-və-niŋ 
ˈrav-niŋ
1
: to devour greedily
2
: despoil
men … raven the earth, destroying its resources—
New Yorker
New YorkerSynonyms
Examples of raven in a Sentence
Adjective
had dark eyes and raven hair
Verb
the rat ravened the poisoned bait just as we had hoped
Recent Examples on the Web
Rachel M. Cohen, Vox, 30 Oct. 2024
An embarrassingly obvious metaphor once Cosimo Ruggieri tells us the raven is a symbol for England!
—Alice Burton, Vulture, 16 Aug. 2024
India Espy-Jones, Essence, 25 Oct. 2024
Although Cabello spent the summer rocking blond tresses, her hair was a raven black hue.
—Julia Teti, WWD, 11 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for raven 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Rooted in a myth suggesting that ravens were negligent or cruel because their babies typically left their nests at a young age, rabenmütter is a term used to guilt German mothers who emphasize their careers.
—Rachel M. Cohen, Vox, 30 Oct. 2024
An embarrassingly obvious metaphor once Cosimo Ruggieri tells us the raven is a symbol for England!
—Alice Burton, Vulture, 16 Aug. 2024
Adjective
Her look, a raven black wig, curtained by a part, marked her potential end to the summer blonde look.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 25 Oct. 2024
Although Cabello spent the summer rocking blond tresses, her hair was a raven black hue.
—Julia Teti, WWD, 11 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for raven
Dictionary Entries Near raven
Cite this Entry
“Raven.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raven. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
raven
1 of 2 noun
ra·ven
ˈrā-vən
: a bird of Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and America that has glossy black feathers and is larger than the related crow
raven
2 of 2 adjective
: shiny and black like a raven's feathers
raven hair
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share