raven

Etymology 1

From Middle English raven, reven, from Old English hræfn, from Proto-West Germanic *hrabn, from Proto-Germanic *hrabnaz (“raven”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱrep-, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱer- (“to croak, crow”).

noun

1. (countable) Any of several, generally large and lustrous black species of birds in the genus Corvus, especially the common raven, Corvus corax.
2. A jet-black colour.
   A lone man walks the shores of Nantucket; his noble form is slightly bent, and with the raven of his hair is blended the faintest tinge of gray, though he is evidently a man to whom the meridian of life is yet far in the distance […] 1859, Ferna Vale, Natalie; or, A Gem Among the Sea-Weeds
   raven:

adj

1. Of the color of the raven; jet-black
   raven curls
   raven darkness
   She was a tall, sophisticated, raven-haired beauty.

Etymology 2

From Middle English ravene, ravine, from Old French raviner (“rush, seize by force”), itself from ravine (“rapine”), from Latin rapīna (“plundering, loot”), itself from rapere (“seize, plunder, abduct”).

noun

1. Rapine; rapacity.
2. Prey; plunder; food obtained by violence.

verb

1. (transitive, archaic) To obtain or seize by violence.
2. (transitive) To devour with great eagerness.
   I refer to the danger of keeping a dog of this nature and disposition in a bedroom, where it can spring out ravening on anyone who enters. 1938, P.G. Woodhouse, The Code of the Woosters
3. (transitive) To prey on with rapacity.
   The raven is both a scavenger, who ravens a dead animal almost like a vulture, and a bird of prey, who commonly ravens to catch a rodent.
4. (intransitive) To show rapacity; to be greedy (for something).
   […] because hogs are commonly rauening for their meat, more then other cattel, it is meet therefore to haue them ringed, or else they wil doe much hurt in digging and turning vp corne fieldes […] 1587, Leonard Mascall, “The nature and qualities of hogges, and also the gouernement thereof”, in The First Booke of Cattell, London
   They passed along towards the great hall-door, where the winds howled and ravened for their prey […] 1852, Elizabeth Gaskell, “The Old Nurse’s Story”, in The Old Nurse’s Story and Other Tales
   The Greek were-wolf is closely related to the vampire. The lycanthropist falls into a cataleptic trance, during which his soul leaves his body, enters that of a wolf and ravens for blood. 1865, Sabine Baring-Gould, chapter 8, in The Book of Were-Wolves, London: Smith, Elder & Co., page 114
   On one side the great temple where you can gather the good harvest—on the other a dirty little scandal that you’ve nosed out to fling to paper scavengers who feed it to their readin’ millions ravening for pornographic dirt. 1931, James B. Fagan, The Improper Duchess, London: Victor Gollancz, published 1932, act 3, page 237