DEARTH

dearth, paucity

(noun) an insufficient quantity or number

dearth, famine, shortage

(noun) an acute insufficiency

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

dearth (countable and uncountable, plural dearths)

A period or condition when food is rare and hence expensive; famine.

(by extension) Scarcity; a lack or short supply.

(obsolete) Dearness; the quality of being rare or costly.

Synonyms

• (period when food is rare): famine, shortage

• (scarcity): lack, paucity, scarcity

Anagrams

• Dehart, dareth, hatred, hetdar, thread

Source: Wiktionary


Dearth, n. Etym: [OE. derthe, fr. dere. See Dear.]

Definition: Scarcity which renders dear; want; lack; specifically, lack of food on account of failure of crops; famine. There came a dearth over all the land of Egypt. Acts vii. 11. He with her press'd, she faint with dearth. Shak. Dearth of plot, and narrowness of imagination. Dryden.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

29 May 2025

CRITICAL

(adjective) characterized by careful evaluation and judgment; “a critical reading”; “a critical dissertation”; “a critical analysis of Melville’s writings”


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Coffee Trivia

Espresso is both a coffee beverage and a brewing method that originated in Italy. When making an espresso, a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure forces through finely-ground coffee beans. It has more caffeine per unit volume than most coffee beverages. Its smaller serving size will take three shots to equal a mug of standard brewed coffee.

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