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shortage

 - 3 dictionary results

short⋅age

[shawr-tij]
–noun
1. a deficiency in quantity: a shortage of cash.
2. the amount of such deficiency.

Origin:
1865–70; short + -age


1. lack, want, scarcity.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To shortage
short·age   (shôr'tĭj)   
n.  A deficiency in amount; an insufficiency.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Cultural Dictionary

shortage

A condition that exists when demand exceeds supply because of a lack of equilibrium in a market. If a price is artificially low, buyers want to buy more of a good than sellers are willing to sell. (Compare surplus.)

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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