Starving

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Starve \Starve\ (st[aum]rv), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Starved}
     (st[aum]rvd); p. pr. & vb. n. {Starving}.] [OE. sterven to
     die, AS. steorfan; akin to D. sterven, G. sterben, OHG.
     sterban, Icel. starf labor, toil.]
     1. To die; to perish. [Obs., except in the sense of perishing
        with cold or hunger.] --Lydgate.


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              In hot coals he hath himself raked . . .
              Thus starved this worthy mighty Hercules. --Chaucer.
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     2. To perish with hunger; to suffer extreme hunger or want;
        to be very indigent.
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              Sometimes virtue starves, while vice is fed. --Pope.
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     3. To perish or die with cold. --Spenser.
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              Have I seen the naked starve for cold? --Sandys.
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              Starving with cold as well as hunger. --W. Irving.
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     Note: In this sense, still common in England, but rarely used
           in the United States.
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From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  starving
       adj : suffering from lack of food [syn: {starved}]
       n : the act of depriving of food or subjecting to famine; "the
           beseigers used starvation to induce surrender"; "they
           were charged with the starvation of children in their
           care" [syn: {starvation}]