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General scarcity of food; dearth; a want of provisions; destitution. "Worn with famine." Milton. There was a famine in the land. Gen. xxvi. 1. Famine fever (Med.), typhus fever.

To surround with an army so as to preclude escape; to besiege; to blockade. The wail of famine in beleaguered towns. Longfellow.

or wither. [Obs.] If thou speak'st false, Upon the next tree shalt thou hang alive, Till famine cling thee. Shak.

nce of a body; as, the corrosive action of an acid. "Corrosive liquors." Grew. "Corrosive famine."Thomson.

hich renders dear; want; lack; specifically, lack of food on account of failure of crops; famine. There came a dearth over all the land of Egypt. Acts vii. 11. He with her press'd, she faint with dearth. Shak. Dearth of plot, and narrowness of imagination. Dryden.

y, selfishly, or wantonly; to consume; to swallow up; to use up; to waste; to annihilate. Famine and pestilence shall devour him. Ezek. vii. 15. I waste my life and do my days devour. Spenser.

To force or constrain by famine. He had famished Paris into a surrender. Burke.

Causing grief or sorrow; painful; afflictive; hard to bear; offensive; harmful. The famine was grievous in the land. Gen. xii. 10. The thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight. Gen. xxi 11.

enhance; to aggravate; as, to increase one's possessions, influence. I will increase the famine. Ezek. v. 16. Make denials Increase your services. Shak.

mperance. Jer. Taylor. Some, as thou sawest, by violent stroke shall die, By fire, flood, famine, by intemperance more In meats and drinks. Milton.

degree or quality in respect of size, character, importance, consequences, etc. "A mighty famine." Luke xv.

Want of the means of subsistence; poverty; indigence; destitution. Chaucer. Famine is in thy cheeks; Need and oppression starveth in thine eyes. Shak.

with disease, calamity, or natural evil of any kind. Thus were they plagued And worn with famine. Milton.

oxism of spiral bacterium (Spirochæte) in the blood. It is not usually fatal. Called also famine fever, and recurring fever.

ss. Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever. Mark i. 30. Behold them that are sick with famine. Jer. xiv. 18.

To distress or subdue by famine; as, to starvea garrison into a surrender. Attalus endeavored to starve Italy by stopping their convoy of provisions from Africa. Arbuthnot.

, as a liquor; to divide; to distribute; to deal out. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] In the time of famine he is the Joseph of the country, and keeps the poor from starving. Then he tameth his stacks of corn, which not his covetousness, but providence, hath reserved for time of need. Fuller.

der, and marked by a copious eruption of red spots upon the body. Also called jail fever, famine fever, putrid fever, spottled fever, etc. See Jail fever, under Jail.