əˈvidəd.ē, -dətē, -i also aˈv- or āˈv- noun
( -es )
Etymology: Middle English avidite, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French avidité, from Latin aviditat-, aviditas, from avidus + -itat-, -itas -ity
1. : the quality or state of being avid : great or extreme eagerness or enthusiasm
he seized his opportunity with avidity
all the avidity of a love-hungered soul — Joseph Furphy
2. : an intense desire for gain or profit : avarice
3. chemistry
a. : the strength of an acid or base dependent on its degree of dissociation
b. : affinity 2b
4. : a characteristic of antibodies (as antitoxins) that tends to enhance their rate of combination or firmness of combination with antigen