Appetite, n.
Etymology: [OE. appetit, F. appétit, fr. L. appetitus, fr. appetere to strive after, long for; ad + petere to seek. See Petition, and cf. Appetence.]
1. The desire for some personal gratification, either of the body or of the mind. The object of appetite it whatsoever sensible good may be wished for; the object of will is that good which reason does lead us to seek. Hooker.
2. Desire for, or relish of, food or drink; hunger. Men must have appetite before they will eat. Buckle.
3. Any strong desire; an eagerness or longing. It God had given to eagles an appetite to swim. Jer. Taylor. To gratify the vulgar appetite for the marvelous. Macaulay.
4. Tendency; appetency. [Obs.] In all bodies there as an appetite of union. Bacon.
3 more senses
5. The thing desired. [Obs.] Power being the natural appetite of princes. Swift.
Note: In old authors, appetite is followed by to or of, but regularly it should be followed by for before the object; as, an appetite for pleasure.
Syn. -- Craving; longing; desire; appetency; passion.
Shades of meaning
Appetite is used only of the demands of the physical system, unless otherwise expressly stated, as when we say an appetite for knowledge; passion includes all excitable impulses of our nature, as anger, fear, love, hatred, etc. Appetite is thus more animal than passion; and when we speak of passions and appetites as conjoined or contrasted, we think of the appetites as wholly physical and of the passions as, in part at least, mental or spiritual. We say an appetite for food, a passion for fame. Compare desire.
Prepositions
He had an insatiable appetite for the marvellous.