famine

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

• IPA^(key): /ˈfæmɪn/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æmɪn
• Hyphenation: fam‧ine

famine (countable and uncountable, plural famines)

1. (uncountable) extreme shortage of food in a region
   • 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

• imafen, infame

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

• IPA^(key): /fa.min/

• Audio

  (file)

famine f (plural famines)

1. famine

• faim

• “famine” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

• infâme

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

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

1. famine

• fain

• Middle French: famine
  • English: famine (borrowed)
  • French: famine