appetite

Etymology

From Middle English appetit, from Old French apetit (French appétit), from Latin appetitus, from appetere (“to strive after, long for”); ad + petere (“to seek”). See petition, and compare with appetence.

noun

1. Desire to eat food or consume drink.
   And I return with an excellent appetite. There can be no question, my dear Watson, of the value of exercise before breakfast. 1904, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of Black Peter
   The most rapid and most seductive transition in all human nature is that which attends the palliation of a ravenous appetite. There is something humiliating about it. 1922, Ben Travers, chapter 5, in A Cuckoo in the Nest
   Though the breweries were forced to shut down, the dry spell did little more than whet the public's appetite for beer: Records show that within the first 24 hours after Congress lifted the ban [Prohibition] in 1933, Americans guzzled 1 million barrels of the stuff. 1985, Susan Mullane, “Going for some gusto in the kitchen”, in National Fisherman, page 78
   Biotics possess extraordinary abilities, but they must live with minor inconveniences. The most obvious issue is getting adequate nutrition. Creating biotic mass effects takes such a toll on metabolism that active biotics develop ravenous appetites. The standard Alliance combat ration for a soldier is 3000 calories per day; biotics are given 4500, as well as a canteen of potent energy drink for quick refreshment after hard combat. 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Biotics: Life as a Biotic Codex entry
2. Any strong desire; an eagerness or longing.
3. The desire for some personal gratification, either of the body or of the mind.
   appetite for reading