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starving - 2 dictionary results

starve

  [stahrv] verb, starved, starv⋅ing.
Use starving in a Sentence
–verb (used without object)
1. to die or perish from lack of food or nourishment.
2. to be in the process of perishing or suffering severely from hunger.
3. to suffer from extreme poverty and need.
4. to feel a strong need or desire: The child was starving for affection.
5. Chiefly British Dialect. to perish or suffer extremely from cold.
6. Obsolete. to die.
–verb (used with object)
7. to cause to starve; kill, weaken, or reduce by lack of food.
8. to subdue, or force to some condition or action, by hunger: to starve a besieged garrison into a surrender.
9. to cause to suffer for lack of something needed or craved.
10. Chiefly British Dialect. to cause to perish, or to suffer extremely, from cold.
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME sterven, OE steorfan to die; c. G sterben
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To starving
starve   (stärv)   
v.   starved, starv·ing, starves

v.   intr.
  1. To suffer or die from extreme or prolonged lack of food.
  2. Informal To be hungry.
  3. To suffer from deprivation.
  4. Archaic To suffer or die from cold.
v.   tr.
  1. To cause to starve.
  2. To force to a specified state by starving.

[Middle English sterven, to die, from Old English steorfan; see ster-1 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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