famine
UK /ˈfæm.ɪn/ · US /ˈfæm.ən/ noun, proper noun
Forms famines
- noun (uncountable) Extreme shortage of food in a region.
- noun (countable) A period of extreme shortage of food in a region.
- noun (dated) Starvation or malnutrition.
- noun Severe shortage or lack of something.
- proper noun (mythology) The personification of famine, often depicted riding a black horse.
Synonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French famine, itself from the root of Latin fames.
Webster’s 1913
- noun General scarcity of food; dearth; a want of provisions; destitution. "Worn with famine." Milton.
Etymology [F. famine, fr. L. fames hunger; cf. Gr. hani loss, lack, ha to leave.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “famine”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details