Plural of avarice; instances or manifestations of extreme greed and desire for wealth or possessions.
From Latin 'avaritia' (greed), from 'avarus' (avaricious, grasping). The word entered English through Old French and has been used since medieval times to describe insatiable greed.
Medieval preachers used 'avarice' as one of the seven deadly sins, and it's fascinating that they made greed sound like a disease you could catch—the personification of an emotion gave it power in people's minds!
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