Also 5 avidite. [a. F. avidité (16th c. in Littré), ad. L. aviditātem, n. of quality f. avidus AVID: see -ITY.]

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  1.  Ardent desire, extreme eagerness, greediness.

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c. 1449.  Pecock, Repr., II. xvii. 251. Deuocioun and avidite whiche men … hadden into goostli techingis.

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1667.  Phil. Trans., II. 491. The dog … fell a gnawing of them with a strange avidity.

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1785.  Reid, Int. Powers, II. iv. Philosophers have an avidity to know how we perceive objects.

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1833.  I. Taylor, Fanat., vi. 175. The mere avidity of gold.

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1871.  Tyndall, Fragm. Sc., II. ii. 11. Magazines, which I used to read with avidity when a boy.

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  b.  transf. of things.

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1646.  Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., III. xvii. 149. The avidity of that part dilateth it selfe, and receiveth a second burden.

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1854.  Scoffern, in Orr’s Circ. Sc., Chem. 340. The avidity for oxygen manifested by sulphurous acid.

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  2.  ellipt. Greediness of gain, graspingness, avarice.

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1662.  J. Bargrave, Pope Alex. VII. (1867), 44. He shewed no small rapacity or (to give it a milder term) avidity.

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1796.  Morse, Amer. Geog., I. 737. Nature never offered to the avidity of mankind … such rich mines as those of Potosi.

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1884.  United Presb. Mag., March, 29. Raised at the same time the rents and the avidity of the landlords.

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