Meaning of word famine

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from Middle French famine, itself from the root of Latin fames. Cognate with Spanish hambruna (“famine”).

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /ˈfæmɪn/
• Rhymes: -æmɪn
• Hyphenation: fam‧ine

Noun[edit]

famine (countable and uncountable, plural famines)

1. (uncountable) Extreme shortage of food in a region.

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

     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.

   • 1971, Central Institute of Research & Training in Public Cooperation

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

2. (countable) A 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. (dated) Starvation or malnutrition.
   • 1871 (orig. 426), Augustine, The City of God, transl. Marcus Dods:

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

4. Severe shortage or lack of something.
   • the Lancashire Cotton Famine

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

• imafen, infame

French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle French and Old French famine, formed from the root of Latin famēs (“hunger”) with the suffix -ine.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /fa.min/

Noun[edit]

famine f (plural famines)

1. famine

Derived terms[edit]

• crier famine

[edit]

• faim

Further reading[edit]

• “famine”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams[edit]

• infâme

Old French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Formed from the root of Latin famēs (“hunger”), with the suffix -ine.

Noun[edit]

famine f (oblique plural famines, nominative singular famine, nominative plural famines)

1. famine

[edit]

• fain

Descendants[edit]

• Middle French: famine
  • → English: famine
  • French: famine

голод, голодание, недостаток

существительное ↓

Словосочетания

millions killed by war, drought, and famine — миллионы убитых войной, засухой и голодом  
a study on famine and population dynamics — исследование голода и популяционной динамики  
widespread famine — повсеместный голод  
water famine — острая нехватка воды  
famine raised its head in the land — в стране свирепствует голод  
war brought famine and disease in its train — война принесла с собой голод и болезни  
famine dropsy — алиментарная дистрофия; безбелковый отёк; голодный отек  
endemic famine — эндемический голод  
experience famine — испытывать острую нехватку  
a feast or a famine — либо пан, либо пропал; или пан, или пропал; пан или пропал  
currency famine — валютный голод  
dollar famine — долларовый голод  

Примеры с переводом

Примеры, ожидающие перевода

Формы слова

noun
ед. ч.(singular): famine
мн. ч.(plural): famines

Last Updated:
4 Apr 2023
— Updated example sentences

We have seen the effects of cotton famine, and I am sure matters would have come to a sad pass if we were to witness a _convict famine_, and to be compelled to open our workhouse gates to the starving families of our convict guardians. ❋ A Merchant — Anonymous (N/A)

On the occasion of a severe famine in Burgundy, she collected a band of her mendicant friends in a stable, and burned them all, saying that ‘_par pitié elle hauoit faict cela, considerant les peines que ces pauvres debuoient endurer en temps de si grande et tant estrange famine_.’ ❋ Unknown (1881)

«As the numbers come out, the word famine really starts to move people and it starts to peak the interest of the international community and the average citizen in a way that a humanitarian crisis unfortunately does not always get people active and engaged,» she said. ❋ Unknown (2011)

«The emotive power of the word famine has been overused often, to try to develop a funding source for a problem that usually truly needed assistance, but was not really about famine,» says Gary Eilerts, program manager at the U.S. Agency for International Development for the Famine Early Warning System Network, or FEWS NET, which is funded by USAID. ❋ Carl Bialik (2011)

When referee Alan Snoddy blew the final whistle at 4. 57pm that April day nine years ago suddenly the sun burst through, the title famine at last had ended. ❋ Unknown (2009)

Eizzy notes that the famine is the worst in the north and east, while those in the west are relatively safe from hunger. ❋ Unknown (2009)

A partial dislocation of one side of the spine would produce a twist which would throw one muscle on to another and another, straining ligaments, producing conjestion and inflammation, or some irritation that would lead to a suspension of the fluids necessary to the harmonious vitality of the foot, which is the great and only cause by which the suffering is produced in a foreign land, which we call a famine in the foot. ❋ Unknown (1872)

The United Nations is careful about using the word famine, and in the past 20 years, only a few humanitarian emergencies have qualified, including in Sudan in 1998, Ethiopia in 2001 and Niger in 2005. ❋ By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN (2012)

Aid agencies use the word «famine» with extreme caution, relying on a UN definition based on acute malnutrition among children under five reaching more than 30 per cent, and deaths from hunger reaching two people per 10,000. ❋ Unknown (2011)

The word «famine» is a trigger for international assistance. ❋ Unknown (2011)

United Nations officials are cautious about using the word famine, and in the past 20 years, only a handful of humanitarian emergencies have qualified, including in Sudan in 1998, Ethiopia in 2001 and Niger in 2005. ❋ By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN (2011)

Analysts say that, without tackling the political complications that influence the distribution of food aid, and even the use of the word «famine,» droughts will remain difficult both to prevent and to manage. ❋ Unknown (2011)

The extremity of the famine is here set forth by two frightful instances of it: — 1. ❋ Unknown (1721)

Fifteen years ago, Stoltenberg was the previous Australian winner of the US Mens Clay Court Championship, the relatively minor tournament that has ended a title famine for Hewitt stretching back to Las Vegas in March, 2007.

I agree with Bono when he says that the world needs to find long-term famine solutions. ❋ Lisa Haisha (2011)

He remembered all his hunting guile, the long patience of shooting meat in famine when a hit or ❋ Unknown (2010)

In all civilised countries great masses of people are crowded into slums and labour-ghettos, where disease festers, vice corrodes, and famine is chronic, and where they die more swiftly and in greater numbers than do the soldiers in our modern wars. ❋ Unknown (2010)

Natural case point: Europe’s Great Famine of 1315-1317, when a spell of cold weather and heavy rains ruined crops, driving people to infanticide, child abandonment, and cannibalism.
Man-made case point: the Holodomor in 1932 Ukraine, when Stalin’s policies of collectivism [starved up] to ten million Ukrainians, driving some to cannibalism to survive. Most of the victims were peasants who had their crops, livestock, and food stolen from them pointblank by «activist» soldiers.
Mixture case-point: [Irish potato famine] (An Gorta Mor) of 1845-1849, when a blight ruined potato crops and excess grain exports on the part of British authorities starved over a million Irish peasants and caused a similar number of people to flee from Ireland.
The [Donner Party], whose poor choice of shortcuts cost them many resources and precious days before winter, suffered their own famine in the Sierra Nevada mountains. ❋ Lorelili (2010)

[Dude] [that’s so] famine!
I’m so famine. ❋ Maseus (2011)

Man, I hope I [get some] famine tonight.
Who’s the new girl? I’d famine [the hell] [outta] her. ❋ Corey Doug, Jace, Murph, Jake (2007)

[I’m going to] [JADA’s] house tonight…she’s making [the boy] some famine . ❋ JoDance (2004)

Wow, [Boris Johnson] made The Faminator [Priti Patel] his Home [Secretary]. ❋ No Hemingway (2019)

[My dog] and [cat] are my Faminals. ❋ Arbordwell (2015)

[Gjon] was the [famine]. One day there was food, and then there wasnt. It was known as one of the most tragic events in history. We remember this day by setting our pfp to Bling Bling Ass from [Johnny Test]. Stay safe kids
— Cum$1ut ❋ Lil Stub Stubs (2021)

You: look at these [faminism]
Friend: wow never seen so many faminism
TRIGGERED [FAMINISM]: AAAAAAHHHHHHHH AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH
AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH
AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH
AAAAAAHHHHHH
you and your friend:**[EAR RAPED]** ❋ (2019)

I could count her [ribs] through her [sweater]; that slag could be the [poster] model for Faminism. ❋ Magnusjj (2014)

Famine- «[The speed of light] is «c» (roughly [186],000 miles per second) and it cannot be reached by any non-zero rest mass particle (or object) because of [e=mc^2].» ❋ The Great Popinski (2006)