famine
noun/ˈfæmɪn/
/ˈfæmɪn/
[countable, uncountable]- a lack of food during a long period of time in a region
- a severe famine
- disasters such as floods and famine
- the threat of widespread famine in the area
- to raise money for famine relief
Extra ExamplesTopics Social issuesb2- Against a background of impending famine, heavy fighting took place.
- Four million people are now facing famine.
- Thousands of people died during the terrible famine of that year.
- When famine strikes, it is often women and children who suffer the most.
- countries that regularly suffer famines
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- devastating
- great
- severe
- …
- face
- suffer
- survive
- …
- strike
- relief
- victim
- during a/the famine
- a threat of famine
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French, from faim ‘hunger’, from Latin fames.
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famine