Covetous (kvt-s), a.
Etymology: [OF. coveitos, F. convoiteux. See Covet, v. t.]
1. Very desirous; eager to obtain; -- used in a good sense. [Archaic] Covetous of wisdom and fair virtue. Shak. Covetous death bereaved us all, To aggrandize one funeral. Emerson.
2. Inordinately desirous; excessively eager to obtain and possess (esp. money); avaricious; -- in a bad sense. The covetous person lives as if the world were madealtogether for him, and not he for the world. South.
Syn. -- Avaricious; parsimonious; penurious; misrely; niggardly. See Avaricious.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for covetous; he lists it under avaricious.
Where he writes about it:
Avaricious and covetous refer especially to acquisition, miserly, niggardly, parsimonious, and penurious to expenditure. — from avaricious
The avaricious man has an eager craving for money, and ordinarily desires both to get and to keep, the covetous man to get something away from its possessor; tho one may be made avaricious by the pressure of great expenditures. — from avaricious