Strong desires or needs for something, especially food, or more broadly any intense wanting of something.
From Latin 'appetitus' (desire, craving), derived from 'appetere' (to strive for). The word originally meant physical hunger but by medieval times extended to any strong desire or inclination.
The Romans and Greeks actually debated whether appetites were natural guides to what your body needed or dangerous forces to control—this ancient tension still shapes modern debates about food and desire.
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