raven

raven — adjective

1. describing hair that is a very deep, glossy black — the kind of black that refle

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing hair that is a very deep, glossy black — the kind of black that reflects light like a bird's feather.

Example

Naoko's raven hair shone under the morning sun as she walked through the park.

collocation: raven hair

The actress was known for her long raven locks that fell past her shoulders.

raven locks as a variant of raven hair

Common collocations
  • raven hair
  • raven locks
  • raven tresses
Synonyms
  • jet-black

    equally dark but does not carry the glossy-shine connotation of raven

  • ebony

    more literary and formal; can describe skin, wood, or objects, not just hair

  • glossy

    focuses on shine but does not specify the colour as black

Antonyms
  • blonde

    light-coloured hair, opposite end of the colour spectrum

  • white

    the opposite of black, not used for hair shine

Grammar Patterns

raven + noun (usually hair)

Usage Note

Used almost exclusively to describe hair. Rarely used for other black objects like fabric or stone.

Common Mistakes

She has raven eyes.
She has raven hair.
raven describes hair colour, not other body parts or objects.

raven — noun

raven — verb

Word family

  • ravenous
    adjectiveC1
  • ravenously
    adverbC1
  • ravening
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Raven, crow, rook, and blackbird are all black-feathered birds that learners often confuse. The raven is the largest of the group — about the size of a red-tailed hawk — with a thick curved beak, shaggy throat feathers, and a wedge-shaped tail. The crow is smaller, has a fan-shaped tail, and a higher-pitched caw. The rook is a social bird that nests in large colonies called rookeries and has a pale, bare patch of skin around its beak. The blackbird is much smaller (slightly bigger than a robin) and is a common garden bird with a beautiful song. In everyday conversation, people often call any large black bird a crow, but ravens are noticeably bigger and less common in urban areas.

crowrookblackbird

Common collocations

Nouns

  • raven hair
  • raven feather
  • raven wing

Phrases

  • black as a raven
  • raven's nest
  • flock of ravens

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The noun raven comes from Old English hræfn, from a Germanic root that imitates the bird's harsh cry. The adjective raven (meaning 'shiny black') comes from comparing hair colour to the bird's feathers. The verb raven (meaning 'to devour or plunder') has a different origin — it comes from Old French raviner, from Latin rapina 'robbery', and is related to ravenous and rapine. These two roots (the Germanic bird name and the Latin robbery word) merged into the same spelling in Middle English.