English

Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, an 1887 painting by Victor Vasnetsov. The Lamb is visible at the top.

Proper noun

Famine

1. The personification of famine, often depicted riding a black horse.

Synonyms

• "the black rider"

Translations

English

Noun

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

Translations

French

Etymology

From a root of Latin famēs ‎(“hunger”) with the suffix *-ine.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fa.min/

Noun

famine f ‎(plural famines)

1. famine

Anagrams

• infâme

Old French

Etymology

From Latin famēs ‎(“hunger”).

Noun

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

1. famine