indigence, need, penury, pauperism, pauperization
(noun) a state of extreme poverty or destitution; “their indigence appalled him”; “a general state of need exists among the homeless”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
penury (usually uncountable, plural penuries)
Extreme want; poverty; destitution.
A lack of something; a dearth.
Synonyms: barrenness, insufficiency
• pruney
Source: Wiktionary
Pen"u*ry, n. Etym: [L. penuria; cf. Gr. pénurie.]
1. Absence of resources; want; privation; indigence; extreme poverty; destitution. "A penury of military forces." Bacon. They were exposed to hardship and penury. Sprat. It arises in neither from penury of thought. Landor.
2. Penuriousness; miserliness. [Obs.] Jer. Taylor.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
26 March 2025
(noun) bandage consisting of a firm covering (often made of plaster of Paris) that immobilizes broken bones while they heal
The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.
