appetence, appetency

[In Fr. appétence; Sp. apetencia; Port. appetencia; Ital. appetenza; Lat. appetent i a, from appetens, pr. par. of appeto (1) to approach, (2) to seek after ad = to, and peto (1) to go to, (2) to seek for.] 1. Of man or other sentient beings: Instinctive desire or impulse to perform certain actions. Spec ., lustful or other appetite or desire. "Of lustful appetence , to sing, to dance, To dre , and troll the tongue, and roll the eye." Milton: P. L. , bk. xi. 2. Of things not sentient: The tendency bodies show to make certain approaches to each other, as in the case of chemical attraction.