The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Appetency \Ap"pe*ten*cy\, n.; pl. Appetencies. [L. appetentia,
fr. appetere to strive after, long for. See Appetite.]
1. Fixed and strong desire; esp. natural desire; a craving;
an eager appetite.
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They had a strong appetency for reading. --Merivale.
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2. Specifically: An instinctive inclination or propensity in
animals to perform certain actions, as in the young to
suck, in aquatic fowls to enter into water and to swim;
the tendency of an organized body to seek what satisfies
the wants of its organism.
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These lacteals have mouths, and by animal selection
or appetency the absorb such part of the fluid as is
agreeable to their palate. --E. Darwin.
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3. Natural tendency; affinity; attraction; -- used of
inanimate objects.
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