famine

plural famines

1. uncountableExtreme shortage of food in a region.

   Dr. Bhatia pointed out that famine had occurred in all ages and in all societies where means of communication and transport were not developed.

   1971, Central Institute of Research & Training in Public Cooperation

   1 more example

   It was reserved for Christians to torture bread, the staff of life, bread for which children in whole districts wail, bread, the gift of pasture to the poor, bread, for want of which thousands of our fellow beings annually perish by famine; it was reserved for Christians to torture the material of bread by fire, to create a chemical and maddening poison, burning up the brain and brutalizing the soul, and producing evils to humanity, in comparison of which, war, pestilence, and famine, cease to be evils.

   1831 July 15, “Of the Blood”, in Western Journal of Health, volume 4, number 1, L. B. Lincoln, page 38

2. countableA period of extreme shortage of food in a region.

   1986, United States Congress, House Select Committee on Hunger, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Africa, Famine and Recovery in Africa The root causes of the current famine are known: poverty, low health standards....

3. countabledateduncountableStarvation or malnutrition.

   His own flesh, however, which he lost by famine, shall be restored to him by Him who can recover even what has evaporated.

   1871 (orig. 426), Augustine, The City of God, transl. Marcus Dods

4. countableuncountableSevere shortage or lack of something.

   the Lancashire Cotton Famine

1. human sciencesThe personification of famine, often depicted riding a black horse.

   Synonyms: the black rider