starvev.

Brit.

/stɑːv/, U.S.

/stɑrv/

Forms: 1. Old English steorfan, Old English styrfð (3rd singular present indicative), Middle English steorue (west midlands and south-western), Middle English sterf, Middle English sterfe, Middle English–1500s storue, Middle English–1600s sterue, Middle English–1600s 1800s (English regional and Irish English)– sterve, 1500s stearue, 1500s stearve, 1500s sterff, 1500s sterwe, 1500s storve, 1500s–1700s starue, 1500s– starve, 1900s sta'be (U.S. regional (South Carolina)); Scottish pre-1700 starue, pre-1700 sterf, pre-1700 sterfe, pre-1700 sterue, pre-1700 sterv, pre-1700 sterwe, pre-1700 strawe (probably transmission error), pre-1700 1700s– starve, pre-1700 1900s– sterve, 1800s stirve (Shetland), 1900s stairve. 2. Past tense. a. Strong. (i). 2nd singular early Middle English storue, Middle English starffe. (ii). 3rd singular late Old English stærf, early Middle English stearf (south-west midlands), Middle English starf, Middle English starfe, Middle English starffe, Middle English starrff, Middle English sterf, Middle English sterfe. (iii). Plural early Middle English sturfe, early Middle English sturuen, Middle English starf, Middle English starfe, Middle English steruen, Middle English storue, Middle English storuen, Middle English storven. b. Weak Middle English stervet, late Middle English sterevid (perhaps transmission error), late Middle English stervid, late Middle English–1600s starued, late Middle English–1600s sterued, 1500s sterude, 1500s–1600s sterved, 1500s– starved, 1600s starvd, 1800s starv'd (English regional), 1800s starv't (English regional (northern)); Scottish pre-1700 staruit, pre-1700 starvit, pre-1700 steru'd, pre-1700 sterued, pre-1700 steruit, pre-1700 sterved, pre-1700 stervit, pre-1700 1700s– starved. 3. Past participle. a. Strong Old English storfen (in prefixed forms (not ge-)), early Middle English isteue (transmission error), Middle English isterue, Middle English istorue, Middle English istoruen, Middle English istorve, Middle English sterff, Middle English sterue, Middle English storuyn, Middle English storve, Middle English storven, Middle English storvun, Middle English storvyn, Middle English ystorue, Middle English ystorve, Middle English–1500s storue, Middle English–1500s storuen, 1500s stervyn (Scottish), 1500s–1600s staruen, 1600s starven. b. Weak late Middle English stervyd, 1500s storued, 1500s storved, 1500s–1600s starued, 1500s–1600s sterued, 1500s–1600s (1900s– Scottish) sterved, 1500s– starved, 1600s starvd, 1600s stervd, 1600s stervit (Scottish), 1800s stahv'd (English regional (Yorkshire)), 1800s star'd (English regional), 1800s starv'd (English regional), 1800s– starred (English regional (midlands)), 1900s– stairvt (Scottish).

Origin: A word inherited from Germanic.

Etymology: Cognate with Old Frisian sterva , starva (West Frisian stjerre , North Frisian sterwe ), Old Dutch stervan (Middle Dutch, Dutch sterven ), Old Saxon stervan (Middle Low German sterven , starven ), Old High German sterban (Middle High German, German sterben ), all in sense ‘to die’ < the same Indo-European base as ancient Greek στέρϕος skin, Byzantine Greek στέρϕνιος firm, Early Irish -sarb (in ussarb death), and (with different ablaut grade) Old Church Slavonic ustrabiti to raise, strengthen, encourage, heal, Russian †sterbnut′ to become rigid, to die, ultimately a suffixed form of an Indo-European base with the sense ‘(to be) rigid’ shown also by stare v. and stark adj. (see star-blind adj.¹). Compare ( < the same Germanic base) Old Icelandic stjarfr epileptic, stjarfi epilepsy (compare starve n.), stirfinn obstinate, and (with different ablaut grade) starfa to work, to be busy.Inflectional history. In Old English a strong verb of Class III (although some of the expected stem forms are not attested until later; compare the early Middle English past tense plural sturuen); strong forms are continued in Middle English, although weak forms of the past tense also begin to appear in the early 15th cent. Weak past participle forms are rare in Middle English, and the strong past participle survives into the 17th cent., although the later strong forms staruen, starven with stem vowel a show the influence of the present tense and the weak inflections (compare starven adj.), as does the isolated Older Scots form stervyn. In the continental Germanic languages the conjugation of the verb has remained strong. Prefixed forms. In Old English the prefixed form asteorfan asterve v.¹ is also attested (although in early use only in the past participle form astorfen ); compare also the corresponding weak Class I causative verb astierfan asterve v.² (compare later sense 4).

I. To die, or cause to die.

†1. intransitive. Of a person or animal: to die. Also figurative of the soul. Obsolete.In later use perhaps with implications of a lingering death, as from hunger (cf. branch II.), cold (cf. branch III.), grief, or slow disease.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > death > [verb (intransitive)]

forsweltc888

sweltc888

adeadeOE

deadc950

wendeOE

i-wite971

starveOE

witea1000

forfereOE

forthfareOE

forworthc1000

to go (also depart , pass, i-wite, chare) out of this worldOE

queleOE

fallOE

to take (also nim, underfo) (the) deathOE

to shed (one's own) blood?a1100

diec1135

endc1175

farec1175

to give up the ghostc1175

letc1200

aswelta1250

leavea1250

to-sweltc1275

to-worthc1275

to yield (up) the ghost (soul, breath, life, spirit)c1290

finea1300

spilla1300

part?1316

to leese one's life-daysa1325

to nim the way of deathc1325

to tine, leave, lose the sweatc1330

flit1340

trance1340

determinec1374

disperisha1382

to go the way of all the eartha1382

to be gathered to one's fathers1382

miscarryc1387

shut1390

goa1393

to die upa1400

expirea1400

fleea1400

to pass awaya1400

to seek out of lifea1400–50

to sye hethena1400

tinea1400

trespass14..

espirec1430

to end one's days?a1439

decease1439

to go away?a1450

ungoc1450

unlivec1450

to change one's lifea1470

vade1495

depart1501

to pay one's debt to (also the debt of) naturea1513

to decease this world1515

to go over?1520

jet1530

vade1530

to go westa1532

to pick over the perch1532

galpa1535

to die the death1535

to depart to God1548

to go home1561

mort1568

inlaikc1575

shuffle1576

finish1578

to hop (also tip, pitch over, drop off, etc.) the perch1587

relent1587

unbreathe1589

transpass1592

to lose one's breath1596

to make a die (of it)1611

to go offa1616

fail1623

to go out1635

to peak over the percha1641

exita1652

drop1654

to knock offa1657

to kick upa1658

to pay nature her due1657

ghost1666

to march off1693

to die off1697

pike1697

to drop off1699

tip (over) the perch1699

to pass (also go, be called, etc.) to one's reward1703

sink1718

vent1718

to launch into eternity1719

to join the majority1721

demise1727

to pack off1735

to slip one's cable1751

turf1763

to move off1764

to pop off the hooks1764

to hop off1797

to pass on1805

to go to glory1814

sough1816

to hand in one's accounts1817

to slip one's breatha1819

croak1819

to slip one's wind1819

stiffen1820

weed1824

buy1825

to drop short1826

to fall (a) prey (also victim, sacrifice) to1839

to get one's (also the) call1839

to drop (etc.) off the hooks1840

to unreeve one's lifeline1840

to step out1844

to cash, pass or send in one's checks1845

to hand in one's checks1845

to go off the handle1848

to go under1848

succumb1849

to turn one's toes up1851

to peg out1852

walk1858

snuff1864

to go or be up the flume1865

to pass outc1867

to cash in one's chips1870

to go (also pass over) to the majority1883

to cash in1884

to cop it1884

snuff1885

to belly up1886

perch1886

to kick the bucket1889

off1890

to knock over1892

to pass over1897

to stop one1901

to pass in1904

to hand in one's marble1911

the silver cord is loosed1911

pip1913

to cross over1915

conk1917

to check out1921

to kick off1921

to pack up1925

to step off1926

to take the ferry1928

peg1931

to meet one's Maker1933

to kiss off1935

to crease it1959

zonk1968

cark1977

to cark it1979

to take a dirt nap1981

the world > life > death > manner of death > die in specific manner [verb (intransitive)] > die of hunger

astervec1000

enfamine138.

bursta1440

famish1530

famine1553

starve1578

affamish1622

OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) xxvii. 408 He underfehð þone awyrigedan cwyde mid Annanian & Saphira þe..mid færlicum deaðe ætforan þam apostolum steorfende afeollon.

OE Lacnunga (2001) I. cxxxii. 96 Gif hryðera steorfan: do in haligwæter grundeswyligean & springcwyrt.., geot on ðone muð.

a1225 MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 71 Þole us to bi-wepen ure sunne þet we ne steruen noht þer inne.

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 165 [He] pine swa þe licome þet þe saule steorue.

c1300 St. Clement (Laud) 146 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 327 He wende þat huy a-dronke weren oþur i-storue bi þe weie.

a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 1893 Starf ysaac quan he was hold .ix. score ger and fiue told.

a1413 (c1385) G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde (Pierpont Morgan) (1882) v. l. 1844 Vpon a cros oure soules for to beye [Christ] First starf, and ros, and sit yn heuene a-boue.

a1500 (?a1390) J. Mirk Festial (Gough) (1905) 104 Þys Perys sterfe yn hys bede.

a1542 T. Wyatt Coll. Poems (1969) ccliii. 15 What so befall, tyll that I sterue, By proofe full well it shall be knowne.

1578 Narsetus 90 in T. Proctor Gorgious Gallery sig. B iiij A thousand deathes I do desire, in wretched state to starue.

1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene ii. vi. sig. R6^v These armes,..The which doe men in bale to sterue.

1609 S. Grahame Anat. Humors 37 The proud triumph of my Despare Hath lade my hopes before her slaughtring face: There must they sterue, murthred with mis-regarde.

a1657 W. Mure Wks. (1898) I. ii. 48 Margrait..Quho with thy eyes, (least my puir lyfe sould sterue), Wouchaiffes to look w^t pitty on my paine.

2. With various constructions, specifying the cause of death. In later use spec.: to be brought gradually nearer to death by a specified condition; to waste away or slowly decline for a specified cause.

†a. intransitive. To die or be in danger of dying for, of, or with hunger. to starve for food, meat, etc.: to die or be dying for lack of food, meat, etc. Cf. also hunger-starve v. Obsolete.This construction has been succeeded by the simple intransitive construction at sense 5 (now the usual sense).In quot. a1225 with dative.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > death > manner of death > die in specific manner [verb (intransitive)] > die lingeringly

starvelOE

strugglea1674

the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > appetite > hunger > be hungry [verb (intransitive)] > be starving

starvelOE

enfaimlec1475

to have cold at the teeth1484

to have the teeth cold1484

famish1535

to famish away1535

famine1553

starve1578

clem1600

affamish1622

lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) (Peterborough contin.) anno 1124 Se man þe æni god heafde, him me hit beræfode mid strange geoldes..; þe nan ne heafde stærf of hungor.

?a1160 Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) (Peterborough contin.) anno 1137 Wrecce men sturuen of hungær.

a1225 (?OE) MS Vesp. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 233 Þa were cofe abruden into þesternesse þe hi sturfe hungre.

c1300 St. Mary Magdalen (Laud) l. 244 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 469 (MED) Muche me þinchez wunder Þat þou last Iesu cristes folk þus steorue for hungur!

c1405 (?c1375–90) G. Chaucer Monk's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 761 Hym self despeired eek for hunger starf [c1430 Cambr. Gg.4.27 starfe].

1528 Rede me & be nott Wrothe sig. f vi^v Playnly for honger they shulde sterve, Excepte they wolde to laboure fall.

1567 G. Turberville Epitaphes, Epigrams f. 135 Though Tantall, Pelops Sonne,abide the Dropsie dry,And sterue with hunger where he hathboth Foode and Water by.

1584 H. Llwyd & D. Powel Hist. Cambria 109 Meredyth..whome Blethyn pursued so straightlie, that he starued for cold and hunger vpon the mountaines.

1615 J. Sylvester Hymn of Almes 50 in 2nd Session Parl. Vertues Reall To stark for Cold, to starue for Food, to perish In Penury.

1650 J. Lamont Diary (1830) 24 A collectione..for supplying the prisoners in England..that were sterueing for famine.

1707 M. Prior Satire upon Poets 153 Starving for Meat, not surfeiting on Praise.

1735 J. Arbuthnot Ess. Nature Aliments (ed. 3) 48 An Animal that starves of Hunger dies feverish, and delirious.

1816 Augusta Rev. 3 503 Who can suffer, in silence and indifference, their countrymen to starve with hunger and cold, rather than contribute to the relief of their necessities.

1861 T. Bullock & F. Bullock Illustr. Hist. Eng. i. 8 They had no markets from which to buy their food, and they were compelled to hunt wild beasts..or to starve of hunger.

†b. intransitive. To die or be in danger of dying for, of, or with grief, love, injury, etc. Obsolete.Quot. a1616 puns also on sense 2a or 5a for its paradoxical conclusion.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > suffering > mental anguish or torment > suffer anguish with or for [verb (transitive)]

starvec1330

the world > health and disease > ill health > be in ill health [verb (intransitive)] > fall ill > be brought near to death

starvec1330

labourc1450

c1330 (?a1300) Arthour & Merlin (Auch.) (1973) 692 Anon he starf for diol ywis.

c1405 (c1385) G. Chaucer Knight's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 1156 A thousand slayn, and noght of qualm ystorue.

c1430 (c1386) G. Chaucer Legend Good Women (Cambr. Gg.4.27) (1879) l. 1277 There as he was in paril for to sterue For hungyr & for myschif in the se.

1513 G. Douglas in tr. Virgil Æneid iv. Prol. 51 For luff thow stervist maist dowchtie Achill.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Coriolanus (1623) iv. ii. 53 Angers my Meate: I suppe vpon my selfe, And so shall sterue with Feeding.

c. intransitive. To die or be almost dead †for, of, or with cold. Also in hyperbolical use: to be extremely cold. Now Scottish and Irish English (northern), or historical.Cf. simple intransitive use at sense 9a.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > death > manner of death > die in specific manner [verb (intransitive)] > die of cold

starve?c1430

?c1430 (c1383) J. Wyclif Eng. Wks. (1880) 14 Here children steruen for cold.

1526 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection iii. sig. BBBvii^v All bathed in rayne & frosen with yce, and nere storuen for colde.

1581 W. Fulke Briefe Confut. Popish Disc. f. 3 How many haue pined for hunger, fainted for thirst, & starued for cold?

a1604 M. Hanmer Chron. Ireland 197 in J. Ware Two Hist. Ireland (1633) We starve for cold, wanting our winter garments.

a1620 M. Fotherby Atheomastix (1622) i. xi. §4. 117 Friget Venus. Poore Venus staru's with cold, & soone will dye.

a1653 H. Binning Wks. (1735) 519 As a bird that wandereth too long from her nest: the young starve for cold or famine.

1735 A. Pope Satires of Donne ii, in Wks. II. 72 His Office keeps your Parchment-Fates entire, He starves with cold to save them from the Fire.

1756 M. Calderwood Lett. & Jrnls. (1884) iv. 94 In summer she is like to starve of cold, and in winter like to die with heat.

1817 N. Wanostrocht Gram. French Lang. 402 Lazy people ought to starve with hunger and cold. The winter was so severe, that I was starving with cold.

1867 P. Kennedy Banks of Boro xiv. 70 [He'll] be obleeged to bring the shakedown near the fire..to keep her from starving with the cold.

1899 Shetland News 18 Mar. A'm no gaein' to staand laanger here stirvin' wi' cauld.

1912 E. Wedgwood in Open Road Apr. 223 If a baker starving with cold and a woodcutter starving with hunger were to exchange a loaf and a faggot, the exchange would be free.

1972 M. Hamilton in Sc. International Aug. 22/1 Whiles I'm stervin o cauld in ma semmit an sark afore I get onythin.

1988 C. Harrod-Eagles Emperor vii. 124 'Is it permissible for me to be helped, and you not? Am I to let my friend starve of cold and hunger after all her kindness to me?'

2007 G. Hansen An Embarrassment of Riches 194 This cell's flimmin boggin, dreary and damp and them pipes keep clanking until I kyanny hear meself think and I'm dead starving with cold!

†3. intransitive. Of plants or their parts: to die, to wither. Obsolete.Cf. sense 5c.

ΘΚΠ

the world > plants > by growth or development > defined by poor growth > wither [verb (intransitive)]

falloweOE

welka1300

starvec1400

witherc1400

dote?1440

wizena1450

mortifyc1475

vade1492

shrinkc1572

flitter1577

windle1579

shirpc1639

welter1645

welt1854

sickly1882

the world > matter > condition of matter > bad condition of matter > deteriorate in condition [verb (intransitive)]

marc1225

pairc1390

starvec1400

dispair1580

to go off1583

die1612

spoil1692

to go bad1799

to go wrong1882

to go in the tank1974

c1400 (?a1387) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Huntington HM 137) (1873) C. xiii. l. 179 Bote yf þat [emended in ed. to þe] sed þat sowen is in þe sloh sterue [L. mortuum fuerit], Shal neuere spir springen vp.

a1475 Bk. Curtasye (Sloane 1986) l. 766 in Babees Bk. (2002) i. 325 Þe potage fyrst with brede y-coruyn, [the sewer] Couerys hom agayn lest þey ben storuyn.

1567 G. Turberville Epitaphes, Epigrams f. 101^v My bitter Teares for water serueWherewith the Garden of my brestI moist, for feare the seedes should sterue.

1578 H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens Niewe Herball iv. lxii. 525 [Our Ladyes Thistell] flowreth in June and July,..and when it hath brought foorth his seede, it decayeth and starueth.

1607 J. Carpenter Plaine Mans Spirituall Plough 220 The trees which grow not sterue, or are very neare to steruing.

1695 J. Woodward Ess. Nat. Hist. Earth 262 Had the Seeds of the Pepper Plant..been born from Java, to these Northern Countries, they must all have starved for want of Sun.

a1722 E. Lisle Observ. Husbandry (1757) 148 In our hill-country..the straw breaks or starves three or four weeks before harvest.

a. transitive. To cause (a person or animal) to die, to kill; to bring to the point of death (by, for, or with). Now only (archaic, English regional, or Scottish) in passive in to be starved with (also of) cold (cf. sense 8a and starved adj. 4).

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > death > killing > kill [verb (transitive)]

swevec725

quelmeOE

slayc893

quelleOE

of-falleOE

ofslayeOE

aquellc950

ayeteeOE

spillc950

beliveOE

to bring (also do) of (one's) life-dayOE

fordoa1000

forfarea1000

asweveOE

drepeOE

forleseOE

martyrOE

to do (also i-do, draw) of lifeOE

bringc1175

off-quellc1175

quenchc1175

forswelta1225

adeadc1225

to bring of daysc1225

to do to deathc1225

to draw (a person) to deathc1225

murder?c1225

aslayc1275

forferec1275

to lay to ground, to earth (Sc. at eird)c1275

martyrc1300

strangle1303

destroya1325

misdoa1325

killc1330

tailc1330

to take the life of (also fro)c1330

enda1340

to kill to (into, unto) death1362

brittena1375

deadc1374

to ding to deathc1380

mortifya1382

perisha1387

to dight to death1393

colea1400

fella1400

kill out (away, down, up)a1400

to slay up or downa1400

swelta1400

voida1400

deliverc1400

starvec1425

jugylc1440

morta1450

to bring to, on, or upon (one's) bierc1480

to put offc1485

to-slaya1500

to make away with1502

to put (a person or thing) to silencec1503

rida1513

to put downa1525

to hang out of the way1528

dispatch?1529

strikea1535

occidea1538

to firk to death, (out) of lifec1540

to fling to deathc1540

extinct1548

to make out of the way1551

to fet offa1556

to cut offc1565

to make away?1566

occise1575

spoil1578

senda1586

to put away1588

exanimate1593

unmortalize1593

speed1594

unlive1594

execute1597

dislive1598

extinguish1598

to lay along1599

to make hence1605

conclude1606

kill off1607

disanimate1609

feeze1609

to smite, stab in, under the fifth rib1611

to kill dead1615

transporta1616

spatch1616

to take off1619

mactate1623

to make meat of1632

to turn up1642

inanimate1647

pop1649

enecate1657

cadaverate1658

expedite1678

to make dog's meat of1679

to make mincemeat of1709

sluice1749

finisha1753

royna1770

still1778

do1780

deaden1807

deathifyc1810

to lay out1829

cool1833

to use up1833

puckeroo1840

to rub out1840

cadaverize1841

to put under the sod1847

suicide1852

outkill1860

to fix1875

to put under1879

corpse1884

stiffen1888

tip1891

to do away with1899

to take out1900

stretch1902

red-light1906

huff1919

to knock rotten1919

skittle1919

liquidate1924

clip1927

to set over1931

creasea1935

ice1941

lose1942

to put to sleep1942

zap1942

to take down1967

wax1968

trash1973

ace1975

c1425 (c1400) Laud Troy-bk. l. 15066 (MED) Many a body was ther to-koruen, And many gode knyȝt was ther storuen.

a1500 (?a1390) J. Mirk Festial (Gough) (1905) 253 A vicious man sterueþe and setteþe on fure hom þat byn by hym.

a1529 J. Skelton Howe Douty Duke of Albany in Wks. (1568) sig. F.vi^v The fynde of hell mot sterue the.

c1550 R. Bieston Bayte Fortune sig. Bij^v Both Emperour and Kyng at last by death he sterueth.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Taming of Shrew (1623) iv. iii. 9 But I..Am staru'd for meate, giddie for lacke of sleepe.

1629 tr. Herodian Hist. (1635) 398 That the Souldiers might perish for lacke of water, and be starved with thirst.

a1676 M. Hale Primitive Originat. Mankind (1677) ii. ix. 208 The Winter cold, which starves very many, either for want of heat or food.

1706 E. Ward Hudibras Redivivus II. vi. 27 Thus almost starv'd with Wind and Weather, I left 'em marching all together.

1722 D. Defoe Moll Flanders 211 It touch'd my Heart so forcibly to think of Parting entirely with the Child, and for ought I knew, of having it murther'd, or starv'd by Neglect and Ill-usuage, (which was much the same).

1834 M. M. Lal Jrnl. Tour Panjab iii. 206 Sháhzádah Kohandil, the son of Taimur Sháh, expired of plague, but some say he was starved by poverty.

1904 A. Clear in Eng. Dial. Dict. V. 736/1 [North Buckinghamshire] I be a'most starved o' cold.

1947 M. Renault Return to Night xviii. 354 He was starved with cold, she thought; it was draining the life out of him.

1971 in Sc. National Dict. (1974) IX. 33/3 [Aberdeenshire] He keepit me stannin newsin till I'm just stairvt o caul.

†b. transitive. To cause (a plant, limb, etc.) to wither or deteriorate. Cf. sense 6b. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > existence and causation > creation > destruction > damage > damage or injure [verb (transitive)] > destroy the growth of plants, etc.

slayc1325

bruise?1523

overgrow?1523

nip1575

starve1578

depasturea1599

bedasha1616

victimize1849

1578 [implied in: J. Bell tr. J. Foxe Serm. Christening Certaine Iew sig. A.vi That heauenly gardiner..doeth many times prune this litle Oliue tree of his Church..cutting of eftsoones wyndshaken bowes and starued branches, that new plantes may prosper the better. (at starved adj. 1)].

a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) iv. iv. 151 But since she..threw her Sun-expelling Masque away, The ayre hath staru'd the roses in her cheekes.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Timon of Athens (1623) i. i. 252 Aches contract, and sterue your supple ioynts.

1720 D. Defoe Serious Refl. Life Robinson Crusoe ii. 32 Honesty is a little tender Plant.., Thick sow'd, as they say, and Thin come up; 'tis nice of Growth, it seldom thrives in a very fat Soil; and yet a very poor Ground too is apt to starve it, unless it has taken very good Root.

II. To die, or cause to die, from lack of food.

a. intransitive. Of a person or animal: to die of hunger (also to starve to death); to perish or gradually waste away from lack or insufficiency of food; to suffer severe malnourishment. Now also hyperbolically: to be extremely hungry.Now the usual sense. Originally an elliptical use of sense 2a.

ΘΚΠ

the world > health and disease > ill health > animal disease or disorder > of an animal: be ill [verb (intransitive)]

starvec1450

mourn1577

the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > appetite > hunger > be hungry [verb (intransitive)] > be starving

starvelOE

enfaimlec1475

to have cold at the teeth1484

to have the teeth cold1484

famish1535

to famish away1535

famine1553

starve1578

clem1600

affamish1622

c1450 (c1420) J. Page Siege of Rouen (Galba) 414 Thei lay cryynge aftur foode. Summe storuen to dethe [?c1450 Harl. 2256 to þe dethe].

c1475 Mankind (1969) l. 637 (MED) A chyrche..xall pay for ale, brede, and wyn..lett me go by! I kan not geet, and I xulde sterue.

1578 G. Whetstone Promos & Cassandra: 2nd Pt. i. vii. sig. H.i^v Better the purce then body starue of twayne.

1590 C. Marlowe Tamburlaine: 1st Pt. sig. D5 For he that giues him other food than this:Shall sit by him and starue to death himselfe.

1604 N. Breton Passionate Shepheard (1877) sig. B4^v That thou wilt no foode reserue, But my flockes and I shall sterue.

1647 in E. Nicholas Papers (1886) I. 70 Were it not for an Irish Barber that was once my servaunt I might have sterved for want of bredd.

1655 I. S. Brief Jrnl. Eng. Army W.-Indies 24 Which in common reason may seem strange that (of all men) Souldiers should starve in a Cooks shop (as the saying is).

1756 T. Hale et al. Compl. Body Husbandry v. xxiii. 229/1 [The goat] will walk at its Ease where any other Animal would break its Neck, and will feed very well where any other Kind would starve.

1785 T. Reid Ess. Intellect. Powers i. iv. 56 And on this foundation some of the schoolmen maintained, that, if a hungry ass were placed between two bundles of hay equally inviting, the beast must stand still and starve to death.

1819 W. Irving Rip Van Winkle in Sketch Bk. i. 65 He..would rather starve on a penny than work for a pound.

1866 T. H. Huxley Lessons Elem. Physiol. vi. §7. 142 An animal..begins to starve from the moment its vital food-stuffs consist of pure amyloids or fats.

1885 ‘Mrs. Alexander’ At Bay i. 9 Pot luck, my dear fellow, but you shan't starve.

1910 A. Hilliers Master Girl i. 24 The man was starving to death. Water he did not want.

1965 A. Lurie Nowhere City xi. 105 'You want something to eat?' 'Sure, I'm starving. What've you got?'

2014 Daily Star (Lebanon) (Nexis) 16 Jan. Another 5 million starved in the famine of 1930-1933.

b. Proverb. while the grass grows, the horse starves and variants: see grass n.¹ Phrases 1a.

c. intransitive. Of a plant or an organ, tissue, cell, etc.: to die or lose vitality for lack of a chemical element or other nutriment which is necessary to sustain life or ensure normal growth and development.Cf. sense 3.

ΘΚΠ

the world > plants > by growth or development > defined by poor growth > wither [verb (intransitive)] > for lack of nutrition

starvea1680

the world > life > death > manner of death > die in specific manner [verb (intransitive)] > die of hunger > of animals or plants

starvea1680

a1680 S. Butler Genuine Remains (1759) II. 23 Thorns and Thistles flourish on barren Grounds, where nobler Plants would starve.

1755 H. Stafford Treat. Cyder-making (ed. 2) i. 32 It has been observed of apple-trees, particularly, that one kind will starve in the same soil, where another kind will thrive.

1859 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 26 Mar. 242/1 We have to rectify the condition on which the disease depends, and the parasite will starve for want of nourishment.

1887 Trans. Internal. Med. Congr. 9th Session V. 694 Tissue is dependent on the blood only,..and when separated from its pabulum it simply starves.

1895 Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Sentinel 8 Dec. 1/5 The brain starves, and insanity, in many cases, is the consequence.

1912 Domest. Engin. 26 Oct. 76/2 If..sewage is applied only at long intervals, the bacteria starve between doses or feedings and the result will again be imperfect putrification.

1946 A. Nelson Princ. Agric. Bot. xix. 369 As soon as the gross supply of nitrogenous food in the plant falls below a level sufficient to supply all, the weaker members starve.

1947 E. Westmore & B. Westmore Beauty Glamour & Personality 45 The skin ‘starves’ and soon loses its health and beauty when a woman habitually undereats, overeats, drinks to excess, [etc.]

1984 Q. Rev. Biol. 59 122/2 If food in the immediate environment is depleted the cells starve and form fruiting bodies, the spores can later germinate if food again becomes available.

2011 M. Nelms et al. Nutrition Therapy & Pathophysiology (ed. 2) xvii. 483/2 When glucose cannot enter cells,..plasma glucose levels rise (hyperglycemia) and cells starve.

a. transitive. To cause to die of hunger (also to starve to death); to deprive of or keep only scantily supplied with food over a period of time. Now also hyperbolically (in passive): to be extremely hungry. †Formerly also with up.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > possession > supply > provide or supply (something) [verb (transitive)] > keep ill-supplied

to hold or keep (a person) shortc1425

strait1513

scant1565

starve1570

scantle1581

shorten1599

scant1600

scant1607

short1620

straiten1627

famish1667

limit1670

scrimp1691

under-furnish1694

stint1722

the world > life > death > killing > killing by specific method > kill [verb (transitive)] > by starving

asterveOE

famine1520

starve1570

to famish to deatha1649

the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > appetite > hunger > hunger for [verb (transitive)] > starve

famec1384

hunger-starve1390

enfamisha1400

famisha1400

forclemc1400

famine1520

starve1570

hunger1575

clem?c1600

effamisha1603

affamish1615

the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > appetite > hunger > hunger for [verb (transitive)] > starve > to death

famishc1440

starve1570

1570 P. Levens Manipulus Vocabulorum sig. Gii^v/1 To Sterue actiue, cibum subducere.

1583 T. Stocker tr. Tragicall Hist. Ciuile Warres Lowe Countries iii. 130 b The young children which were staruen to death, said,..Where is the bread, where is the wine.

1635 R. Johnson Hist. Tom a Lincolne (1828) 106 Wherein was left but onely the Red Rose Knight, in his Palmer's weed (for all the rest were starved up for want of food).

1653 Mercurius Democritus No. 49. 381 A poor pittifull Taylor on Shooe-lane was lately starved to death for cutting of his own throat.

1684 Bp. G. Burnet tr. T. More Utopia 140 Such as are wrought on by these Perswasions, do either starve themselves of their own accord [L. inedia sponte vitam finiunt], or they take Opium.

1718 M. Prior Alma iii, in Poems Several Occasions (new ed.) 368 To starve a man, in law is murther.

1785 W. Cowper Task iv. 463 Oh for a law to noose the villain's neck Who starves his own.

1861 F. Nightingale Notes on Nursing (new ed.) 46 Thousands of patients are annually starved in the midst of plenty.

1932 G. Greene Stamboul Train iii. iii. 155 His parents had starved themselves that he might be a doctor, he himself had gone hungry and endangered his health that he might be a doctor.

1967 C. Potok Chosen 100 'Are you hungry, Reuven?'..'I'm starved,' I said.

1986 P. L. Fermor Between Woods & Water viii. 222 The dungeon-island of Babakai, where a pasha had chained up a runaway wife and starved her to death.

2014 Nation (Thailand) (Nexis) 29 Dec. She also alleged that her former employer would sometimes starve her for two days.

b. transitive. To produce atrophy or restrict growth in (a plant or other organism, a specific organ or part, etc.) by withholding or diverting nutriment. Also with of. Occasionally with out: to eradicate or destroy by absorbing all the available nutriment. Also figurative.Cf. sense 4b.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > biology > biological processes > nutrition, etc. > [verb (transitive)] > deprive of nutrition

starve1587

the world > life > death > killing > killing by specific method > kill [verb (transitive)] > by smothering or suffocation > a plant

choke1526

stifle1530

starve1866

1587 W. Cary Breefe Treat. xii. 30 Here also maist thou gather, whie studients are commonlie so leane; for by neglecting exercise, which should disperse the bloud, they starue the outward part of their bodies.

1630 Bp. J. Hall Occas. Medit. §xi I doe not loue to see an Infancie ouer-hopefull; in these pregnant beginnings one faculty starues another, and, at last, leaues the minde sap-lesse, and barren.

a1682 Sir T. Browne Certain Misc. Tracts (1683) i. 76 This, in the Pathology of Plants, may be the Disease of..superfoliation..whereby the fructifying Juice is starved by the excess of Leaves.

1709 Ld. Shaftesbury Moralists ii. iv. 118 The Anatomy of the Creature shews it..to be, as it were, all Wing..: these Parts of theirs being made in such superiour proportion, as in a manner to starve their Companions.

1766 H. Walpole Let. 9 Sept. (1857) V. 10 Our harvest..turns out ill, the preceding rains having starved it with weeds.

1782 W. Cowper Retirem. in Poems 260 Invet'rate habits choak th' unfruitful heart, Their fibres penetrate its tend'rest part, And draining its nutritious pow'rs to feed Their noxious growth, starve ev'ry better seed.

1855 A. Bain Senses & Intellect ii. ii. 461 The whole soul passing into one sense aggrandizes that sense and starves the rest.

1866 D. Livingstone 12 Apr. in Last Jrnls. (1874) I. i. 19 Where bamboos prevail they have starved out the woody trees.

1899 T. C. Allbutt et al. Syst. Med. VIII. 780 To endeavour to starve the growth by coagulating the blood-vessels at the base.

1993 Limnography & Oceanogr. 38 1165/2 Bacteria were starved of phosphate for 2 d in a bacterial medium with glucose.

2012 R. Maheshwari Fungi (ed. 2) vi. 108 The rust fungi starve the host plant but do not kill it.

c. transitive. To subdue by famine or low diet; to force down, out, or into a course of action by starvation.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > subjection > subjecting or subjugation > subject [verb (transitive)] > by starving

starve1616

the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > appetite > hunger > hunger for [verb (transitive)] > starve > subdue or force by starving

hunger1575

starve1616

1616 T. Scot Philomythie sig. D7^v They said, they would besiege and starue him out.

a1625 J. Fletcher Womans Prize i. iii, in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Comedies & Trag. (1647) sig. Nnnnn3^v/2 We will beleaguer 'em, and either starve 'em out, or make 'em recreant.

1727 J. Arbuthnot Tables Anc. Coins 278 There was one Attalus, who endeavoured to starve Italy by stopping their Convoy of Provisions from Africa.

1775 Parl. Reg. 1775–80 II. 74 They..were to be starved into compliance.

1838 C. Dickens Nicholas Nickleby (1839) viii. 67 Every young and healthy feeling flogged and starved down.

1874 J. R. Green Short Hist. Eng. People v. §1. 221 It was not till Philip had failed to relieve it that the town was starved into surrender.

1927 E. R. Burroughs Outlaw of Torn ix. 129 As darkness settled upon the castle the Baron desisted from his attempts, intending to starve his prisoner out.

1971 Sunday Express & News (San Antonio, Texas) 21 Feb. (Sunday One) 2/3 In 1932, the flock was starved down by an uncommonly severe winter.

2012 S. P. Rosen in Competitive Strategies 21st Cent. ii. 14 Great Britain was in imminent danger of being starved into submission.

d. transitive. To treat (a disease) by withholding or limiting the patient's food. In later use chiefly in to starve a fever.

ΘΚΠ

the world > health and disease > healing > medical treatment > treatments by diet > treat by prescribed diet [verb (transitive)] > treat by specific diet

starve1617

stuff1769

sagoize1847

1617 F. Moryson Itinerary iii. 159 They..give themselves to the keeping of Irish women, who starve the ague, giving the sick man no meate.

1645 D. North Forest of Varieties i. 111 They pretend to starve the disease when they starve the Patient.

1700 J. Dryden tr. G. Boccaccio Theodore & Honoria in Fables 258 As Men by Fasting starve th' untam'd Disease.

1839 J. W. Croker in Croker Papers 21 Nov. (1884) I. xxi. 358 Last week he [sc. Wellington] had been what he called starving a cold.

1940 Brit. Red Cross Soc. Cookery & Catering Man. (ed. 4) vi. 75 In olden times fevers were starved. In modern days a fever patient is supplied up to the limits of his digestive capacity with fluid or semi-fluid food.

2007 Chicago Tribune (Midwest ed.) 5 Mar. i. 12/4 What a relief to see the myth-busting piece about feeding a cold and starving a fever.

7. figurative and in extended use.

a. transitive. To withhold something necessary from; to deprive of essential support or resources; to cause to suffer from spiritual or mental want. Also with for, from, of. Occasionally with out: to destroy or cause to decay by such means.

ΚΠ

?1570 T. Drant Two Serm. sig. B.iij Let vs hartily wishe..that they may be..carefull to prouide for the necessities of the realme, specially, that mens soules be not starued with hunger and pine of the worde of God.

1581 G. Pettie tr. S. Guazzo Ciuile Conuersat. (1586) i. 3 b In steede of consuming and staruing your euil, you giue it nourishment.

1598 W. Shakespeare Love's Labour's Lost ii. i. 11 When she did starue the generall world beside, And prodigally gaue them [sc. graces] all to you.

1600 W. Shakespeare Midsummer Night's Dream i. i. 222 We must starue our sight, From louers foode, till morrow deepe midnight.

1619 M. Drayton To his Coy Love in Poems 303 These poore halfe Kisses kill me quite; Was euer man thus serued? Amidst an Ocean of Delight, For Pleasure to be sterued.

1629 J. Gaule Practique Theories Christs Predict. 403 Neither should his absence starue them, nor his presence cloy them.

1675 R. Baxter Catholick Theol. ii. xiii. 292 And so you starve out and destroy true piety, by calling off the peoples minds to Controversie.

1704 M. Henry Communicant's Compan. in Wks. (1855) I. 309 The soul that is starved is as certainly murdered as the soul that is stabbed.

a1732 T. Boston Illustr. Doctr. Christian Relig. (1773) III. 186 If God withdraw any thing from thee, it is but to starve a lust that would feed on it.

1810 S. Perceval in S. Walpole Life & Corr. (1874) II. iv. 133 If you thought they were starving the great cause [the Peninsular War] by any mistaken economy.

1878 D. Kemp Man. Yacht & Boat Sailing 371 Starved of Wind—when a vessel is sailed so near the wind that she does not have enough of it, or feel the weight of it.

1915 F. M. Hueffer Good Soldier iii. v. 207 She was starving herself to build up his fortunes; she allowed herself..no dresses, no jewels—hardly even any friendships, for fear they should cost money.

1940 Daily Progress 20 Mar. 3/5 The fighters tried to starve out the blaze by scraping away the inflammable material in a circle around the fire.

1987 S. Eldred-Grigg Oracles Miracles i. 29 So we were starved of love, and if anybody spoke kindly to me..my eyes would fill up with tears.

2007 Signs 33 35 The women's emergency services were starved of funding, and every second woman fleeing domestic violence had to be turned away by a shelter for lack of space.

b. intransitive. To slowly waste away for want of spiritual sustenance or support; to go into a decline when deprived of essential resources. Also with for.Frequently (as in quots. 1577, 1884, 1935) in extended figurative context.

ΚΠ

1577 J. Caldwell Serm. preached before Earle of Darbie sig. F.iii For we make our bellyes our God, and our kitchens our religyon, and so that we bee crammed with daintie meates, wee care not though our soules perishe and starue for honger.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Comedy of Errors (1623) ii. i. 87 His company must do his minions grace, Whil'st I at home starue for a merrie looke.

c1616 R. C. Times' Whistle (1871) i. 398 Though our soules doe sterve For want of Knowledge, we doe litle care.

1726 W. Broome in A. Pope et al. tr. Homer Odyssey IV. xviii. 409 Idly thus thy soul prefers to live, And starve by strolling, not by work to thrive.

1762 E. Young Wks. (rev. ed.) IV. 83 They mortify, they starve, on wealth, fame, power; And laugh to scorn the fools that aim at more.

1872 C. Kingsley Lett. (1878) II. 388 The scheme might starve without such more liberal assistance at first.

1884 R. Browning Ferishtah's Fancies (1885) 7 Which lacks food the more, Body or soul in me? I starve in soul.

1935 G. Santayana Last Puritan viii. 166 He is starving for great thoughts, Mr. Alder, his soul can't live without great thoughts.

1971 Lubbock (Texas) Avalanche-Jrnl. 21 July a4/5 The soul starves for far more than bread.

III. To die, or cause to die, of cold.

a. transitive. To cause to die of cold (also to starve to death); to benumb with cold, to freeze; (also hyperbolically) to make extremely cold. Now chiefly Scottish and English regional.Originally a spec. use of sense 4a. In quot. 1574 in figurative context.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > death > cause of death > cause death [verb (transitive)] > by cold

starve1574

the world > matter > properties of materials > temperature > coldness > make cold [verb (transitive)] > give sensation of cold to > cause to perish with cold

starve1574

perish1796

the world > the earth > structure of the earth > constituent materials > earth or soil > soil qualities > [verb (passive)] > cold for lack of drainage

starve1770

1574 H. Howard Def. Eccl. Regiment in Eng. 65 Then would the froste of priuate quarel either sterue the buddes of the gospell, or the rage of spirituall ambition disturbe the pollicie of euery congregation.

1600 P. Holland tr. Livy Rom. Hist. xxi. lviii. 427 Many a man and beast, and seven Elephants..were starved and perished [owing to the intolerable cold].

1636 A. Cowley Sylva 486 No flower or herbe is neere it found, But a perpetuall winter sterves the ground.

1640 T. Carew Poems 45 The cold and frozen ayre had sterv'd Much poore, if not by thee preserv'd.

1662 J. Davies tr. A. Olearius Voy. & Trav. Ambassadors 37 Their cloaths being all wet about them, most of them would have been starv'd to death in the snow.

1697 Countess D'Aunoy's Trav. (1706) 57 What occasion was there..to put me into such an open place to starve me?

c1749 Mr. Bulkeley Diary 22 Feb. in B. Dew Roberts Mr. Bulkeley & Pirate (1936) ii. i. 128 The weather very moderate, but as y^e Evening proved very stormy, I am afraid the poor Children were half starved before they reached Beaumaris.

1770 Lady M. Coke Jrnl. 12 Jan. (1892) III. 203 There is not a window or door that shuts; I am starved to death at my fire side.

1844 M. Howitt tr. W. Hey Child's Picture & Verse Bk. 171 Here is it so cold; it starves us so! Would freeze us, therefore away we go!

1891 Leeds Mercury 19 Dec. 5/6 A man starved to death at Farsley.

1891 North Eastern Daily Gaz. 14 Dec. 3/2 A man starved to death in the storm..was yesterday found at Farsley quite stiff and dead with his walking stick in his hand across his breast.

1893 J. K. Snowden Tales Yorks. Wolds 158 Willie was rubbing his hands slowly before the roaring fire. ‘I'm fearful starved’, he said.

1896 G. F. Northall Warwickshire Word-bk. 227 Don't go out in this cold wind, you'll starve yourself.

1928 A. E. Pease Dict. Dial. N. Riding Yorks. 127/1 T'wind's fit ti starve yĕ.

1958 Huntly Express 30 May 2 It's ower caul', littlin'. Ye wid sterve yersel'.

1995 J. M. Sims-Kimbrey Wodds & Doggerybaw: Lincs. Dial. Dict. 291/1 Put a blanket run 'im an let 'im in the fire; 'e's starved ter deeãd an' 'e's blue an' 'is teeth'r chitterin'.

†b. transitive. To render (land) cold through poor drainage. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

1766 Museum Rusticum 6 84 Considerable parts of each land, towards each furrow, are starved by the coldness of the water dripping from the higher parts of the lands.

1794 J. Holt Gen. View Agric. Lancaster 59 More attention should be paid to draining marle pits than is generally practised, for..the stagnant water frequently overflows, and starves a large space.

1826 A. Henderson Pract. Grazier x. 420 A trench..should be made at first as narrow and shallow as possible, for they will always get larger by repeated cleaning; and when too deep they starve the land.

1886 R. Holland Gloss. Words County of Chester (at cited word) Land is also said to be starved when it is cold for want of drainage.

a. intransitive. To die or be almost dead from exposure to cold; (also hyperbolically) to suffer extreme cold, be benumbed with cold. Now chiefly Scottish and English regional.Cf. sense 2c.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > properties of materials > temperature > coldness > be cold [verb (intransitive)] > be cold or have sensation of cold > perish with cold

freeze1390

starve1602

perish1750

bestormed1837

1602 S. Rowlands Greenes Ghost sig. D2 So out of doores go they with his clothes..and left Nicholas Nouice staruing and quaking in that doghole.

1650 R. Heath Occas. Poems 9 in Clarastella See how nakt Charitie Sterves in this frozen age!

1710 J. Swift Jrnl. to Stella 30 Dec. (1948) I. 144 The weather grows cold... I'll go rise, for my hands are starving while I write in bed.

1731 A. Pope Epist. to Earl of Burlington 11 Imitating Fools..Shall call the Winds thro' long Arcades to roar,..And if they starve, they starve by Rules of Art.

1772 J. W. Fletcher Appeal Matter of Fact iii. 106 Whether they starve in the snows of Lapland, or burn in the sands of Guinea?

1824 S. Ferrier Inheritance I. 377 We'll thank you to pull down that window,..for we are perfectly starving here.

1847 E. Brontë Wuthering Heights I. 107 ‘Ellen, shut the window. I'm starving!’ And her teeth chattered as she shrunk closer to the almost extinguished embers.

1884 Era 11 Oct. 9/1 There is the irate father..who drives a tender and loving daughter from the domestic hearth into the snow to starve.

1928 A. E. Pease Dict. Dial. N. Riding Yorks. 127/1 T'hoss is starvin, look sharp an' get him a roog putten on.

?c1982 S. Hamer Clun Dial. Words 13 Starve, to feel desperately cold.

1995 J. M. Sims-Kimbrey Wodds & Doggerybaw: Lincs. Dial. Dict. 291/1 Yah must be starvin'! Cum in an' git yersen reight up ter the fire.

2004 S. Blackhall Boddamers' Monkey 2 Mynd foo we eesed tae sterve wi twa, three lumps o coal?

†b. transitive. to starve out: to endure in perishing cold. Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > properties of materials > temperature > coldness > be cold [verb (intransitive)] > be cold or have sensation of cold > endure in cold

to starve out1609

1609 W. Shakespeare Troilus & Cressida v. xi. 2 Æne. Stand ho? yet are we masters of the field... Troy. Neuer goe home, here starue we out the night.

Phrases

P1. U.S. to starve the beast: to weaken or destroy something powerful and dangerous by means of attrition; (Politics, esp. used by libertarians) to limit or reduce the amount of government spending by cutting taxes.

ΚΠ

1898 Morning Star (Sandusky, Ohio) 28 Mar. The condition of Cuba is heartrending... Men are starved as the laws of this land will not allow the citizens to starve the beast.

1921 Freeport (Illinois) Jrnl.-Standard 28 Nov. 9/4 Prevention of tuberculosis through health education in the home and the school will starve the Beast.

1985 Wall Street Jrnl. 21 Oct. 16/1 We didn't starve the beast... It's still eating quite well—by feeding off future generations.

1996 San Jose (California) Mercury News (Nexis) 16 Oct. (Editorial section) 6 b A tax cut, coupled with a balanced budget, will help 'starve the beast', denying the money to make big government bigger.

2011 Vanity Fair Nov. 141/3 This is the essence of the ‘starve the beast’ strategy spearheaded by elite conservative groups..: cut taxes at every opportunity and eventually the government will have to get smaller.

P2. Australian slang. starve the crows and variants = stone (or stiffen) the crows at crow n.¹ 3d. Similarly starve the lizards.The phrase alludes to the practice of scaring crows away from cornfields (and thus starving them): see crow-starving n. at crow n.¹ Compounds 2. Cf. also starve-crow n. and adj. at Compounds.

ΚΠ

1918 H. Matthews Saints & Soldiers 116 ‘Starve the crows,’ howled Bluey in that agonised screech of his.

1927 Bulletin (Sydney) 27 Jan. 22/2 'Starve the lizards,' he said, 'there ain't no kangaroos in the West now'.

1936 A. Russell Gone Nomad vi. 46 Starve the crows! I laugh ev'ry time I think of it.

1966 ‘J. Hackston’ Father clears Out 156 Trooper Newbigun turned his horse's head and rode off with such dignity that Albert Horne said, just like an Australian, ‘Gawd starve the crows!’

2004 Herald Sun (Melbourne) (Nexis) 15 Jan. 18 A replica of the Coliseum at the Melbourne Showgrounds? Starve the lizards, why not a miniature Vatican and a resident pope?

Compounds

starve-crow n. and adj. †(a) n. a piece of land that produces poor crops (obsolete); (b) adj. (of land) producing poor crops; also figurative.Attested earliest in field and place names. Cf. starve-acre n.

ΚΠ

1672 J. Eachard Mr. Hobbs's State Nature Considered 112 Because Jonas Moore is not as yet come to divide, and set out the ground, and to call this piece starve-crow, and t'other long acre.

1875 W. Topley Geol. of Weald 185 The outlier of gravel near Starve Crow Farm is at its highest point 253 feet above the sea.

1923 Galveston (Texas) Daily News 18 Feb. 24/2 It was about the worst of all starve-crow farms of Continental Europe.

1925 J. M. Murry Adelphi July 143 In such fields I would gladly wander for ever, and satisfy my hunger for something more than the starve-crow criticism of poetry which we chiefly get to-day.

1945 R. Hargreaves Enemy at Gate 124 The starvecrow days of the Revolution.

1974 W. Leeds Herefordshire Speech 96 Starve-crow farm, very poor farming land.

starve-gutted adj. famished, starving; fit for starvation.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > appetite > hunger > [adjective] > hungry > starving or starved

hungryc950

ofhungeredOE

hungeredc1425

famylousc1475

forhungered1481

hunger-starvena1533

starven1546

hunger-bit1549

hunger-bitten1549

affamished1554

starved1563

starving1581

gaunted1582

famishing1587

food-sick1587

hunger-starving1592

famined1622

gut-foundered1647

hunger-starved1647

starved-gut1653

half-starved1667

clemmed1674

nushed1691

pinch-gutted1704

starve-gutted1726

clemming1773

clung1807

1726 Learned Diss. Dumpling 22 The Enemies of good Eating, the Starve-gutted Authors of Grub-street.

1835 Age 28 June 203/1 Ask yourself if any bit of muslin whatever would be starve-guttedin Mount-street Workhouse, when the said bit of muslin might have her stomach particularly well filled out of it.

1895 Bury & Norwich Post 21 May 8/3 Mr Deeks..ridiculed the idea of a bricklayer working for 5d. an hour, and said he called it a ‘starve gutted wage,’ not a living wage.

1919 J. E. Patterson Passage Barque Sappho vi. 65 'W'y, for twa pins Aa'd tak' yo'r starve-gutted length be the heels an' dip yo'r heid ower- board,' said Smiley.

2003 J. Call Rolling with Tide 112 We really were hongry as starve-gutted dawgs.

† starve-yoad n. [ < starve v. + yaud n.] English regional Obsolete rare (perhaps) a piece of poor land, unfit for grazing; cf. starve-crow n. and adj.In quot. perhaps alternatively: a tumble-down stable (in which a horse is inadequately protected from the elements).

ΚΠ

1755 R. Radcliffe Let. 4 Nov. in Lett. R. Radcliffe & J. James (1888) 3 Monkhouse has been at Newton, to have t' other view of Starve-yoad.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	starve
释义	† starven. Forms: Old English–early Middle English steorfa, early Middle English steorue, early Middle English storue. Origin: A word inherited from Germanic. Etymology: Cognate with Old Saxon -stervo act of dying (in man-stervo ; Middle Low German sterve , starve pestilence), Old High German sterbo pestilence, death (Middle High German sterbe ), Old Icelandic stjarfi epilepsy, Old Swedish starvi kind of serious illness (unidentified) < the Germanic base of starve v.In Old English a weak masculine (the stem-final -f- was voiced before the vowel of the ending already in Old English); occasional inflection as a strong noun is perhaps implied by place-name evidence. The word occurs early as an element in boundary markers in Anglo-Saxon charters bounds and in place names, although the precise sense is unclear, perhaps ‘place where pestilence has occurred’ or ‘poor land (for pasture)’ (compare later starve-crow n. and adj., starve-yoad n. at starve v. Compounds, and starve-acre n. 1):eOE Bounds (Sawyer 327) in A. Campbell Charters of Rochester (1973) 28 An westhalfe Biddanstiorf, an norðhalfe Pumelond.OE Charter: Abp. Oswald to Wulfheah (Sawyer 1374) in A. J. Robertson Anglo-Saxon Charters (1956) 118 Ondlong gemæres þæt in steorfanhalh.a1300 ( Bounds (Sawyer 108) in S. E. Kelly Charters of Selsey (1998) 107 North andlang mores to siferþingc steorfan. Obsolete. 1. Widespread loss of life, mortality, esp. from plague; plague, pestilence. ΘΚΠ the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > plague or pestilence > [noun] manqualmeOE deathOE starveOE woundc1369 pestilencea1382 murraina1387 mortality?a1425 plaguea1475 pest1479 cladec1480 traik1513 mortalness1530 pestility1570 the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > [noun] > a harmful thing or person > pestilential starveOE starvec1225 plaguea1450 pestilenta1530 mischief1586 nuisancer1769 Typhoid Mary1913 menace1936 OE Wulfstan Last Days (Hatton) 140 Eac sceal aspringan wide & side sacu & clacu.., bryne & blodgyte & styrnlice styrunga, stric & steorfa & fela ungelimpa. OE Wulfstan Institutes of Polity: Be Godes Þeowum (Junius) (1959) 168 Gif hit geweorðe, þæt folce mislimpe þurh here oðþon hunger, þurh stric oððe steorfan, þurh unwæstm oððe unweder, þonne rædan hi georne, hu man þæs bote sece to Criste mid clænlicum fæstenum and mid cyrcsocnum. a1225 (?OE) MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 13 Stala and steorfa swiðe cow [read eow] scal hene. 2. A pestilent being, a devil. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > [noun] > a harmful thing or person > pestilential starveOE starvec1225 plaguea1450 pestilenta1530 mischief1586 nuisancer1769 Typhoid Mary1913 menace1936 c1225 (?c1200) St. Juliana (Bodl.) 449 Iuliene..stondinde o þe steorue nom hire ahne bondes & bigon to beaten þen belial of helle. c1225 (?c1200) St. Margaret (Royal) (1934) 29 Stute nu, earme steorue, ant swic nuðe lanhure, swikele swarte deouel, þat tu ne derue me na mare. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2016; most recently modified version published online June 2021). starvev. Brit. /stɑːv/, U.S. /stɑrv/ Forms: 1. Old English steorfan, Old English styrfð (3rd singular present indicative), Middle English steorue (west midlands and south-western), Middle English sterf, Middle English sterfe, Middle English–1500s storue, Middle English–1600s sterue, Middle English–1600s 1800s (English regional and Irish English)– sterve, 1500s stearue, 1500s stearve, 1500s sterff, 1500s sterwe, 1500s storve, 1500s–1700s starue, 1500s– starve, 1900s sta'be (U.S. regional (South Carolina)); Scottish pre-1700 starue, pre-1700 sterf, pre-1700 sterfe, pre-1700 sterue, pre-1700 sterv, pre-1700 sterwe, pre-1700 strawe (probably transmission error), pre-1700 1700s– starve, pre-1700 1900s– sterve, 1800s stirve (Shetland), 1900s stairve. 2. Past tense. a. Strong. (i). 2nd singular early Middle English storue, Middle English starffe. (ii). 3rd singular late Old English stærf, early Middle English stearf (south-west midlands), Middle English starf, Middle English starfe, Middle English starffe, Middle English starrff, Middle English sterf, Middle English sterfe. (iii). Plural early Middle English sturfe, early Middle English sturuen, Middle English starf, Middle English starfe, Middle English steruen, Middle English storue, Middle English storuen, Middle English storven. b. Weak Middle English stervet, late Middle English sterevid (perhaps transmission error), late Middle English stervid, late Middle English–1600s starued, late Middle English–1600s sterued, 1500s sterude, 1500s–1600s sterved, 1500s– starved, 1600s starvd, 1800s starv'd (English regional), 1800s starv't (English regional (northern)); Scottish pre-1700 staruit, pre-1700 starvit, pre-1700 steru'd, pre-1700 sterued, pre-1700 steruit, pre-1700 sterved, pre-1700 stervit, pre-1700 1700s– starved. 3. Past participle. a. Strong Old English storfen (in prefixed forms (not ge-)), early Middle English isteue (transmission error), Middle English isterue, Middle English istorue, Middle English istoruen, Middle English istorve, Middle English sterff, Middle English sterue, Middle English storuyn, Middle English storve, Middle English storven, Middle English storvun, Middle English storvyn, Middle English ystorue, Middle English ystorve, Middle English–1500s storue, Middle English–1500s storuen, 1500s stervyn (Scottish), 1500s–1600s staruen, 1600s starven. b. Weak late Middle English stervyd, 1500s storued, 1500s storved, 1500s–1600s starued, 1500s–1600s sterued, 1500s–1600s (1900s– Scottish) sterved, 1500s– starved, 1600s starvd, 1600s stervd, 1600s stervit (Scottish), 1800s stahv'd (English regional (Yorkshire)), 1800s star'd (English regional), 1800s starv'd (English regional), 1800s– starred (English regional (midlands)), 1900s– stairvt (Scottish). Origin: A word inherited from Germanic. Etymology: Cognate with Old Frisian sterva , starva (West Frisian stjerre , North Frisian sterwe ), Old Dutch stervan (Middle Dutch, Dutch sterven ), Old Saxon stervan (Middle Low German sterven , starven ), Old High German sterban (Middle High German, German sterben ), all in sense ‘to die’ < the same Indo-European base as ancient Greek στέρϕος skin, Byzantine Greek στέρϕνιος firm, Early Irish -sarb (in ussarb death), and (with different ablaut grade) Old Church Slavonic ustrabiti to raise, strengthen, encourage, heal, Russian †sterbnut′ to become rigid, to die, ultimately a suffixed form of an Indo-European base with the sense ‘(to be) rigid’ shown also by stare v. and stark adj. (see star-blind adj.¹). Compare ( < the same Germanic base) Old Icelandic stjarfr epileptic, stjarfi epilepsy (compare starve n.), stirfinn obstinate, and (with different ablaut grade) starfa to work, to be busy.Inflectional history. In Old English a strong verb of Class III (although some of the expected stem forms are not attested until later; compare the early Middle English past tense plural sturuen); strong forms are continued in Middle English, although weak forms of the past tense also begin to appear in the early 15th cent. Weak past participle forms are rare in Middle English, and the strong past participle survives into the 17th cent., although the later strong forms staruen, starven with stem vowel a show the influence of the present tense and the weak inflections (compare starven adj.), as does the isolated Older Scots form stervyn. In the continental Germanic languages the conjugation of the verb has remained strong. Prefixed forms. In Old English the prefixed form asteorfan asterve v.¹ is also attested (although in early use only in the past participle form astorfen ); compare also the corresponding weak Class I causative verb astierfan asterve v.² (compare later sense 4). I. To die, or cause to die. †1. intransitive. Of a person or animal: to die. Also figurative of the soul. Obsolete.In later use perhaps with implications of a lingering death, as from hunger (cf. branch II.), cold (cf. branch III.), grief, or slow disease. ΘΚΠ the world > life > death > [verb (intransitive)] forsweltc888 sweltc888 adeadeOE deadc950 wendeOE i-wite971 starveOE witea1000 forfereOE forthfareOE forworthc1000 to go (also depart , pass, i-wite, chare) out of this worldOE queleOE fallOE to take (also nim, underfo) (the) deathOE to shed (one's own) blood?a1100 diec1135 endc1175 farec1175 to give up the ghostc1175 letc1200 aswelta1250 leavea1250 to-sweltc1275 to-worthc1275 to yield (up) the ghost (soul, breath, life, spirit)c1290 finea1300 spilla1300 part?1316 to leese one's life-daysa1325 to nim the way of deathc1325 to tine, leave, lose the sweatc1330 flit1340 trance1340 determinec1374 disperisha1382 to go the way of all the eartha1382 to be gathered to one's fathers1382 miscarryc1387 shut1390 goa1393 to die upa1400 expirea1400 fleea1400 to pass awaya1400 to seek out of lifea1400–50 to sye hethena1400 tinea1400 trespass14.. espirec1430 to end one's days?a1439 decease1439 to go away?a1450 ungoc1450 unlivec1450 to change one's lifea1470 vade1495 depart1501 to pay one's debt to (also the debt of) naturea1513 to decease this world1515 to go over?1520 jet1530 vade1530 to go westa1532 to pick over the perch1532 galpa1535 to die the death1535 to depart to God1548 to go home1561 mort1568 inlaikc1575 shuffle1576 finish1578 to hop (also tip, pitch over, drop off, etc.) the perch1587 relent1587 unbreathe1589 transpass1592 to lose one's breath1596 to make a die (of it)1611 to go offa1616 fail1623 to go out1635 to peak over the percha1641 exita1652 drop1654 to knock offa1657 to kick upa1658 to pay nature her due1657 ghost1666 to march off1693 to die off1697 pike1697 to drop off1699 tip (over) the perch1699 to pass (also go, be called, etc.) to one's reward1703 sink1718 vent1718 to launch into eternity1719 to join the majority1721 demise1727 to pack off1735 to slip one's cable1751 turf1763 to move off1764 to pop off the hooks1764 to hop off1797 to pass on1805 to go to glory1814 sough1816 to hand in one's accounts1817 to slip one's breatha1819 croak1819 to slip one's wind1819 stiffen1820 weed1824 buy1825 to drop short1826 to fall (a) prey (also victim, sacrifice) to1839 to get one's (also the) call1839 to drop (etc.) off the hooks1840 to unreeve one's lifeline1840 to step out1844 to cash, pass or send in one's checks1845 to hand in one's checks1845 to go off the handle1848 to go under1848 succumb1849 to turn one's toes up1851 to peg out1852 walk1858 snuff1864 to go or be up the flume1865 to pass outc1867 to cash in one's chips1870 to go (also pass over) to the majority1883 to cash in1884 to cop it1884 snuff1885 to belly up1886 perch1886 to kick the bucket1889 off1890 to knock over1892 to pass over1897 to stop one1901 to pass in1904 to hand in one's marble1911 the silver cord is loosed1911 pip1913 to cross over1915 conk1917 to check out1921 to kick off1921 to pack up1925 to step off1926 to take the ferry1928 peg1931 to meet one's Maker1933 to kiss off1935 to crease it1959 zonk1968 cark1977 to cark it1979 to take a dirt nap1981 the world > life > death > manner of death > die in specific manner [verb (intransitive)] > die of hunger astervec1000 enfamine138. bursta1440 famish1530 famine1553 starve1578 affamish1622 OE Ælfric Catholic Homilies: 1st Ser. (Royal) (1997) xxvii. 408 He underfehð þone awyrigedan cwyde mid Annanian & Saphira þe..mid færlicum deaðe ætforan þam apostolum steorfende afeollon. OE Lacnunga (2001) I. cxxxii. 96 Gif hryðera steorfan: do in haligwæter grundeswyligean & springcwyrt.., geot on ðone muð. a1225 MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 71 Þole us to bi-wepen ure sunne þet we ne steruen noht þer inne. ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 165 [He] pine swa þe licome þet þe saule steorue. c1300 St. Clement (Laud) 146 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 327 He wende þat huy a-dronke weren oþur i-storue bi þe weie. a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 1893 Starf ysaac quan he was hold .ix. score ger and fiue told. a1413 (c1385) G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde (Pierpont Morgan) (1882) v. l. 1844 Vpon a cros oure soules for to beye [Christ] First starf, and ros, and sit yn heuene a-boue. a1500 (?a1390) J. Mirk Festial (Gough) (1905) 104 Þys Perys sterfe yn hys bede. a1542 T. Wyatt Coll. Poems (1969) ccliii. 15 What so befall, tyll that I sterue, By proofe full well it shall be knowne. 1578 Narsetus 90 in T. Proctor Gorgious Gallery sig. B iiij A thousand deathes I do desire, in wretched state to starue. 1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene ii. vi. sig. R6^v These armes,..The which doe men in bale to sterue. 1609 S. Grahame Anat. Humors 37 The proud triumph of my Despare Hath lade my hopes before her slaughtring face: There must they sterue, murthred with mis-regarde. a1657 W. Mure Wks. (1898) I. ii. 48 Margrait..Quho with thy eyes, (least my puir lyfe sould sterue), Wouchaiffes to look w^t pitty on my paine. 2. With various constructions, specifying the cause of death. In later use spec.: to be brought gradually nearer to death by a specified condition; to waste away or slowly decline for a specified cause. †a. intransitive. To die or be in danger of dying for, of, or with hunger. to starve for food, meat, etc.: to die or be dying for lack of food, meat, etc. Cf. also hunger-starve v. Obsolete.This construction has been succeeded by the simple intransitive construction at sense 5 (now the usual sense).In quot. a1225 with dative. ΘΚΠ the world > life > death > manner of death > die in specific manner [verb (intransitive)] > die lingeringly starvelOE strugglea1674 the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > appetite > hunger > be hungry [verb (intransitive)] > be starving starvelOE enfaimlec1475 to have cold at the teeth1484 to have the teeth cold1484 famish1535 to famish away1535 famine1553 starve1578 clem1600 affamish1622 lOE Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) (Peterborough contin.) anno 1124 Se man þe æni god heafde, him me hit beræfode mid strange geoldes..; þe nan ne heafde stærf of hungor. ?a1160 Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) (Peterborough contin.) anno 1137 Wrecce men sturuen of hungær. a1225 (?OE) MS Vesp. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 233 Þa were cofe abruden into þesternesse þe hi sturfe hungre. c1300 St. Mary Magdalen (Laud) l. 244 in C. Horstmann Early S.-Eng. Legendary (1887) 469 (MED) Muche me þinchez wunder Þat þou last Iesu cristes folk þus steorue for hungur! c1405 (?c1375–90) G. Chaucer Monk's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 761 Hym self despeired eek for hunger starf [c1430 Cambr. Gg.4.27 starfe]. 1528 Rede me & be nott Wrothe sig. f vi^v Playnly for honger they shulde sterve, Excepte they wolde to laboure fall. 1567 G. Turberville Epitaphes, Epigrams f. 135 Though Tantall, Pelops Sonne,abide the Dropsie dry,And sterue with hunger where he hathboth Foode and Water by. 1584 H. Llwyd & D. Powel Hist. Cambria 109 Meredyth..whome Blethyn pursued so straightlie, that he starued for cold and hunger vpon the mountaines. 1615 J. Sylvester Hymn of Almes 50 in 2nd Session Parl. Vertues Reall To stark for Cold, to starue for Food, to perish In Penury. 1650 J. Lamont Diary (1830) 24 A collectione..for supplying the prisoners in England..that were sterueing for famine. 1707 M. Prior Satire upon Poets 153 Starving for Meat, not surfeiting on Praise. 1735 J. Arbuthnot Ess. Nature Aliments (ed. 3) 48 An Animal that starves of Hunger dies feverish, and delirious. 1816 Augusta Rev. 3 503 Who can suffer, in silence and indifference, their countrymen to starve with hunger and cold, rather than contribute to the relief of their necessities. 1861 T. Bullock & F. Bullock Illustr. Hist. Eng. i. 8 They had no markets from which to buy their food, and they were compelled to hunt wild beasts..or to starve of hunger. †b. intransitive. To die or be in danger of dying for, of, or with grief, love, injury, etc. Obsolete.Quot. a1616 puns also on sense 2a or 5a for its paradoxical conclusion. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > suffering > mental anguish or torment > suffer anguish with or for [verb (transitive)] starvec1330 the world > health and disease > ill health > be in ill health [verb (intransitive)] > fall ill > be brought near to death starvec1330 labourc1450 c1330 (?a1300) Arthour & Merlin (Auch.) (1973) 692 Anon he starf for diol ywis. c1405 (c1385) G. Chaucer Knight's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 1156 A thousand slayn, and noght of qualm ystorue. c1430 (c1386) G. Chaucer Legend Good Women (Cambr. Gg.4.27) (1879) l. 1277 There as he was in paril for to sterue For hungyr & for myschif in the se. 1513 G. Douglas in tr. Virgil Æneid iv. Prol. 51 For luff thow stervist maist dowchtie Achill. a1616 W. Shakespeare Coriolanus (1623) iv. ii. 53 Angers my Meate: I suppe vpon my selfe, And so shall sterue with Feeding. c. intransitive. To die or be almost dead †for, of, or with cold. Also in hyperbolical use: to be extremely cold. Now Scottish and Irish English (northern), or historical.Cf. simple intransitive use at sense 9a. ΘΚΠ the world > life > death > manner of death > die in specific manner [verb (intransitive)] > die of cold starve?c1430 ?c1430 (c1383) J. Wyclif Eng. Wks. (1880) 14 Here children steruen for cold. 1526 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection iii. sig. BBBvii^v All bathed in rayne & frosen with yce, and nere storuen for colde. 1581 W. Fulke Briefe Confut. Popish Disc. f. 3 How many haue pined for hunger, fainted for thirst, & starued for cold? a1604 M. Hanmer Chron. Ireland 197 in J. Ware Two Hist. Ireland (1633) We starve for cold, wanting our winter garments. a1620 M. Fotherby Atheomastix (1622) i. xi. §4. 117 Friget Venus. Poore Venus staru's with cold, & soone will dye. a1653 H. Binning Wks. (1735) 519 As a bird that wandereth too long from her nest: the young starve for cold or famine. 1735 A. Pope Satires of Donne ii, in Wks. II. 72 His Office keeps your Parchment-Fates entire, He starves with cold to save them from the Fire. 1756 M. Calderwood Lett. & Jrnls. (1884) iv. 94 In summer she is like to starve of cold, and in winter like to die with heat. 1817 N. Wanostrocht Gram. French Lang. 402 Lazy people ought to starve with hunger and cold. The winter was so severe, that I was starving with cold. 1867 P. Kennedy Banks of Boro xiv. 70 [He'll] be obleeged to bring the shakedown near the fire..to keep her from starving with the cold. 1899 Shetland News 18 Mar. A'm no gaein' to staand laanger here stirvin' wi' cauld. 1912 E. Wedgwood in Open Road Apr. 223 If a baker starving with cold and a woodcutter starving with hunger were to exchange a loaf and a faggot, the exchange would be free. 1972 M. Hamilton in Sc. International Aug. 22/1 Whiles I'm stervin o cauld in ma semmit an sark afore I get onythin. 1988 C. Harrod-Eagles Emperor vii. 124 'Is it permissible for me to be helped, and you not? Am I to let my friend starve of cold and hunger after all her kindness to me?' 2007 G. Hansen An Embarrassment of Riches 194 This cell's flimmin boggin, dreary and damp and them pipes keep clanking until I kyanny hear meself think and I'm dead starving with cold! †3. intransitive. Of plants or their parts: to die, to wither. Obsolete.Cf. sense 5c. ΘΚΠ the world > plants > by growth or development > defined by poor growth > wither [verb (intransitive)] falloweOE welka1300 starvec1400 witherc1400 dote?1440 wizena1450 mortifyc1475 vade1492 shrinkc1572 flitter1577 windle1579 shirpc1639 welter1645 welt1854 sickly1882 the world > matter > condition of matter > bad condition of matter > deteriorate in condition [verb (intransitive)] marc1225 pairc1390 starvec1400 dispair1580 to go off1583 die1612 spoil1692 to go bad1799 to go wrong1882 to go in the tank1974 c1400 (?a1387) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Huntington HM 137) (1873) C. xiii. l. 179 Bote yf þat [emended in ed. to þe] sed þat sowen is in þe sloh sterue [L. mortuum fuerit], Shal neuere spir springen vp. a1475 Bk. Curtasye (Sloane 1986) l. 766 in Babees Bk. (2002) i. 325 Þe potage fyrst with brede y-coruyn, [the sewer] Couerys hom agayn lest þey ben storuyn. 1567 G. Turberville Epitaphes, Epigrams f. 101^v My bitter Teares for water serueWherewith the Garden of my brestI moist, for feare the seedes should sterue. 1578 H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens Niewe Herball iv. lxii. 525 [Our Ladyes Thistell] flowreth in June and July,..and when it hath brought foorth his seede, it decayeth and starueth. 1607 J. Carpenter Plaine Mans Spirituall Plough 220 The trees which grow not sterue, or are very neare to steruing. 1695 J. Woodward Ess. Nat. Hist. Earth 262 Had the Seeds of the Pepper Plant..been born from Java, to these Northern Countries, they must all have starved for want of Sun. a1722 E. Lisle Observ. Husbandry (1757) 148 In our hill-country..the straw breaks or starves three or four weeks before harvest. 4. a. transitive. To cause (a person or animal) to die, to kill; to bring to the point of death (by, for, or with). Now only (archaic, English regional, or Scottish) in passive in to be starved with (also of) cold (cf. sense 8a and starved adj. 4). ΘΚΠ the world > life > death > killing > kill [verb (transitive)] swevec725 quelmeOE slayc893 quelleOE of-falleOE ofslayeOE aquellc950 ayeteeOE spillc950 beliveOE to bring (also do) of (one's) life-dayOE fordoa1000 forfarea1000 asweveOE drepeOE forleseOE martyrOE to do (also i-do, draw) of lifeOE bringc1175 off-quellc1175 quenchc1175 forswelta1225 adeadc1225 to bring of daysc1225 to do to deathc1225 to draw (a person) to deathc1225 murder?c1225 aslayc1275 forferec1275 to lay to ground, to earth (Sc. at eird)c1275 martyrc1300 strangle1303 destroya1325 misdoa1325 killc1330 tailc1330 to take the life of (also fro)c1330 enda1340 to kill to (into, unto) death1362 brittena1375 deadc1374 to ding to deathc1380 mortifya1382 perisha1387 to dight to death1393 colea1400 fella1400 kill out (away, down, up)a1400 to slay up or downa1400 swelta1400 voida1400 deliverc1400 starvec1425 jugylc1440 morta1450 to bring to, on, or upon (one's) bierc1480 to put offc1485 to-slaya1500 to make away with1502 to put (a person or thing) to silencec1503 rida1513 to put downa1525 to hang out of the way1528 dispatch?1529 strikea1535 occidea1538 to firk to death, (out) of lifec1540 to fling to deathc1540 extinct1548 to make out of the way1551 to fet offa1556 to cut offc1565 to make away?1566 occise1575 spoil1578 senda1586 to put away1588 exanimate1593 unmortalize1593 speed1594 unlive1594 execute1597 dislive1598 extinguish1598 to lay along1599 to make hence1605 conclude1606 kill off1607 disanimate1609 feeze1609 to smite, stab in, under the fifth rib1611 to kill dead1615 transporta1616 spatch1616 to take off1619 mactate1623 to make meat of1632 to turn up1642 inanimate1647 pop1649 enecate1657 cadaverate1658 expedite1678 to make dog's meat of1679 to make mincemeat of1709 sluice1749 finisha1753 royna1770 still1778 do1780 deaden1807 deathifyc1810 to lay out1829 cool1833 to use up1833 puckeroo1840 to rub out1840 cadaverize1841 to put under the sod1847 suicide1852 outkill1860 to fix1875 to put under1879 corpse1884 stiffen1888 tip1891 to do away with1899 to take out1900 stretch1902 red-light1906 huff1919 to knock rotten1919 skittle1919 liquidate1924 clip1927 to set over1931 creasea1935 ice1941 lose1942 to put to sleep1942 zap1942 hit1955 to take down1967 wax1968 trash1973 ace1975 c1425 (c1400) Laud Troy-bk. l. 15066 (MED) Many a body was ther to-koruen, And many gode knyȝt was ther storuen. a1500 (?a1390) J. Mirk Festial (Gough) (1905) 253 A vicious man sterueþe and setteþe on fure hom þat byn by hym. a1529 J. Skelton Howe Douty Duke of Albany in Wks. (1568) sig. F.vi^v The fynde of hell mot sterue the. c1550 R. Bieston Bayte Fortune sig. Bij^v Both Emperour and Kyng at last by death he sterueth. a1616 W. Shakespeare Taming of Shrew (1623) iv. iii. 9 But I..Am staru'd for meate, giddie for lacke of sleepe. View more context for this quotation 1629 tr. Herodian Hist. (1635) 398 That the Souldiers might perish for lacke of water, and be starved with thirst. a1676 M. Hale Primitive Originat. Mankind (1677) ii. ix. 208 The Winter cold, which starves very many, either for want of heat or food. 1706 E. Ward Hudibras Redivivus II. vi. 27 Thus almost starv'd with Wind and Weather, I left 'em marching all together. 1722 D. Defoe Moll Flanders 211 It touch'd my Heart so forcibly to think of Parting entirely with the Child, and for ought I knew, of having it murther'd, or starv'd by Neglect and Ill-usuage, (which was much the same). 1834 M. M. Lal Jrnl. Tour Panjab iii. 206 Sháhzádah Kohandil, the son of Taimur Sháh, expired of plague, but some say he was starved by poverty. 1904 A. Clear in Eng. Dial. Dict. V. 736/1 [North Buckinghamshire] I be a'most starved o' cold. 1947 M. Renault Return to Night xviii. 354 He was starved with cold, she thought; it was draining the life out of him. 1971 in Sc. National Dict. (1974) IX. 33/3 [Aberdeenshire] He keepit me stannin newsin till I'm just stairvt o caul. †b. transitive. To cause (a plant, limb, etc.) to wither or deteriorate. Cf. sense 6b. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > existence and causation > creation > destruction > damage > damage or injure [verb (transitive)] > destroy the growth of plants, etc. slayc1325 bruise?1523 overgrow?1523 nip1575 starve1578 depasturea1599 bedasha1616 victimize1849 1578 [implied in: J. Bell tr. J. Foxe Serm. Christening Certaine Iew sig. A.vi That heauenly gardiner..doeth many times prune this litle Oliue tree of his Church..cutting of eftsoones wyndshaken bowes and starued branches, that new plantes may prosper the better. (at starved adj. 1)]. a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) iv. iv. 151 But since she..threw her Sun-expelling Masque away, The ayre hath staru'd the roses in her cheekes. View more context for this quotation a1616 W. Shakespeare Timon of Athens (1623) i. i. 252 Aches contract, and sterue your supple ioynts. View more context for this quotation 1720 D. Defoe Serious Refl. Life Robinson Crusoe ii. 32 Honesty is a little tender Plant.., Thick sow'd, as they say, and Thin come up; 'tis nice of Growth, it seldom thrives in a very fat Soil; and yet a very poor Ground too is apt to starve it, unless it has taken very good Root. II. To die, or cause to die, from lack of food. 5. a. intransitive. Of a person or animal: to die of hunger (also to starve to death); to perish or gradually waste away from lack or insufficiency of food; to suffer severe malnourishment. Now also hyperbolically: to be extremely hungry.Now the usual sense. Originally an elliptical use of sense 2a. ΘΚΠ the world > health and disease > ill health > animal disease or disorder > of an animal: be ill [verb (intransitive)] starvec1450 mourn1577 the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > appetite > hunger > be hungry [verb (intransitive)] > be starving starvelOE enfaimlec1475 to have cold at the teeth1484 to have the teeth cold1484 famish1535 to famish away1535 famine1553 starve1578 clem1600 affamish1622 c1450 (c1420) J. Page Siege of Rouen (Galba) 414 Thei lay cryynge aftur foode. Summe storuen to dethe [?c1450 Harl. 2256 to þe dethe]. c1475 Mankind (1969) l. 637 (MED) A chyrche..xall pay for ale, brede, and wyn..lett me go by! I kan not geet, and I xulde sterue. 1578 G. Whetstone Promos & Cassandra: 2nd Pt. i. vii. sig. H.i^v Better the purce then body starue of twayne. 1590 C. Marlowe Tamburlaine: 1st Pt. sig. D5 For he that giues him other food than this:Shall sit by him and starue to death himselfe. 1604 N. Breton Passionate Shepheard (1877) sig. B4^v That thou wilt no foode reserue, But my flockes and I shall sterue. 1647 in E. Nicholas Papers (1886) I. 70 Were it not for an Irish Barber that was once my servaunt I might have sterved for want of bredd. 1655 I. S. Brief Jrnl. Eng. Army W.-Indies 24 Which in common reason may seem strange that (of all men) Souldiers should starve in a Cooks shop (as the saying is). 1756 T. Hale et al. Compl. Body Husbandry v. xxiii. 229/1 [The goat] will walk at its Ease where any other Animal would break its Neck, and will feed very well where any other Kind would starve. 1785 T. Reid Ess. Intellect. Powers i. iv. 56 And on this foundation some of the schoolmen maintained, that, if a hungry ass were placed between two bundles of hay equally inviting, the beast must stand still and starve to death. 1819 W. Irving Rip Van Winkle in Sketch Bk. i. 65 He..would rather starve on a penny than work for a pound. 1866 T. H. Huxley Lessons Elem. Physiol. vi. §7. 142 An animal..begins to starve from the moment its vital food-stuffs consist of pure amyloids or fats. 1885 ‘Mrs. Alexander’ At Bay i. 9 Pot luck, my dear fellow, but you shan't starve. 1910 A. Hilliers Master Girl i. 24 The man was starving to death. Water he did not want. 1965 A. Lurie Nowhere City xi. 105 'You want something to eat?' 'Sure, I'm starving. What've you got?' 2014 Daily Star (Lebanon) (Nexis) 16 Jan. Another 5 million starved in the famine of 1930-1933. b. Proverb. while the grass grows, the horse starves and variants: see grass n.¹ Phrases 1a. c. intransitive. Of a plant or an organ, tissue, cell, etc.: to die or lose vitality for lack of a chemical element or other nutriment which is necessary to sustain life or ensure normal growth and development.Cf. sense 3. ΘΚΠ the world > plants > by growth or development > defined by poor growth > wither [verb (intransitive)] > for lack of nutrition starvea1680 the world > life > death > manner of death > die in specific manner [verb (intransitive)] > die of hunger > of animals or plants starvea1680 a1680 S. Butler Genuine Remains (1759) II. 23 Thorns and Thistles flourish on barren Grounds, where nobler Plants would starve. 1755 H. Stafford Treat. Cyder-making (ed. 2) i. 32 It has been observed of apple-trees, particularly, that one kind will starve in the same soil, where another kind will thrive. 1859 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 26 Mar. 242/1 We have to rectify the condition on which the disease depends, and the parasite will starve for want of nourishment. 1887 Trans. Internal. Med. Congr. 9th Session V. 694 Tissue is dependent on the blood only,..and when separated from its pabulum it simply starves. 1895 Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Sentinel 8 Dec. 1/5 The brain starves, and insanity, in many cases, is the consequence. 1912 Domest. Engin. 26 Oct. 76/2 If..sewage is applied only at long intervals, the bacteria starve between doses or feedings and the result will again be imperfect putrification. 1946 A. Nelson Princ. Agric. Bot. xix. 369 As soon as the gross supply of nitrogenous food in the plant falls below a level sufficient to supply all, the weaker members starve. 1947 E. Westmore & B. Westmore Beauty Glamour & Personality 45 The skin ‘starves’ and soon loses its health and beauty when a woman habitually undereats, overeats, drinks to excess, [etc.] 1984 Q. Rev. Biol. 59 122/2 If food in the immediate environment is depleted the cells starve and form fruiting bodies, the spores can later germinate if food again becomes available. 2011 M. Nelms et al. Nutrition Therapy & Pathophysiology (ed. 2) xvii. 483/2 When glucose cannot enter cells,..plasma glucose levels rise (hyperglycemia) and cells starve. 6. a. transitive. To cause to die of hunger (also to starve to death); to deprive of or keep only scantily supplied with food over a period of time. Now also hyperbolically (in passive): to be extremely hungry. †Formerly also with up. ΘΚΠ the mind > possession > supply > provide or supply (something) [verb (transitive)] > keep ill-supplied to hold or keep (a person) shortc1425 strait1513 scant1565 starve1570 scantle1581 shorten1599 scant1600 scant1607 short1620 straiten1627 famish1667 limit1670 scrimp1691 under-furnish1694 stint1722 the world > life > death > killing > killing by specific method > kill [verb (transitive)] > by starving asterveOE famine1520 starve1570 to famish to deatha1649 the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > appetite > hunger > hunger for [verb (transitive)] > starve famec1384 hunger-starve1390 enfamisha1400 famisha1400 forclemc1400 famine1520 starve1570 hunger1575 clem?c1600 effamisha1603 affamish1615 the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > appetite > hunger > hunger for [verb (transitive)] > starve > to death famishc1440 starve1570 1570 P. Levens Manipulus Vocabulorum sig. Gii^v/1 To Sterue actiue, cibum subducere. 1583 T. Stocker tr. Tragicall Hist. Ciuile Warres Lowe Countries iii. 130 b The young children which were staruen to death, said,..Where is the bread, where is the wine. 1635 R. Johnson Hist. Tom a Lincolne (1828) 106 Wherein was left but onely the Red Rose Knight, in his Palmer's weed (for all the rest were starved up for want of food). 1653 Mercurius Democritus No. 49. 381 A poor pittifull Taylor on Shooe-lane was lately starved to death for cutting of his own throat. 1684 Bp. G. Burnet tr. T. More Utopia 140 Such as are wrought on by these Perswasions, do either starve themselves of their own accord [L. inedia sponte vitam finiunt], or they take Opium. 1718 M. Prior Alma iii, in Poems Several Occasions (new ed.) 368 To starve a man, in law is murther. 1785 W. Cowper Task iv. 463 Oh for a law to noose the villain's neck Who starves his own. 1861 F. Nightingale Notes on Nursing (new ed.) 46 Thousands of patients are annually starved in the midst of plenty. 1932 G. Greene Stamboul Train iii. iii. 155 His parents had starved themselves that he might be a doctor, he himself had gone hungry and endangered his health that he might be a doctor. 1967 C. Potok Chosen 100 'Are you hungry, Reuven?'..'I'm starved,' I said. 1986 P. L. Fermor Between Woods & Water viii. 222 The dungeon-island of Babakai, where a pasha had chained up a runaway wife and starved her to death. 2014 Nation (Thailand) (Nexis) 29 Dec. She also alleged that her former employer would sometimes starve her for two days. b. transitive. To produce atrophy or restrict growth in (a plant or other organism, a specific organ or part, etc.) by withholding or diverting nutriment. Also with of. Occasionally with out: to eradicate or destroy by absorbing all the available nutriment. Also figurative.Cf. sense 4b. ΘΚΠ the world > life > biology > biological processes > nutrition, etc. > [verb (transitive)] > deprive of nutrition starve1587 the world > life > death > killing > killing by specific method > kill [verb (transitive)] > by smothering or suffocation > a plant choke1526 stifle1530 starve1866 1587 W. Cary Breefe Treat. xii. 30 Here also maist thou gather, whie studients are commonlie so leane; for by neglecting exercise, which should disperse the bloud, they starue the outward part of their bodies. 1630 Bp. J. Hall Occas. Medit. §xi I doe not loue to see an Infancie ouer-hopefull; in these pregnant beginnings one faculty starues another, and, at last, leaues the minde sap-lesse, and barren. a1682 Sir T. Browne Certain Misc. Tracts (1683) i. 76 This, in the Pathology of Plants, may be the Disease of..superfoliation..whereby the fructifying Juice is starved by the excess of Leaves. 1709 Ld. Shaftesbury Moralists ii. iv. 118 The Anatomy of the Creature shews it..to be, as it were, all Wing..: these Parts of theirs being made in such superiour proportion, as in a manner to starve their Companions. 1766 H. Walpole Let. 9 Sept. (1857) V. 10 Our harvest..turns out ill, the preceding rains having starved it with weeds. 1782 W. Cowper Retirem. in Poems 260 Invet'rate habits choak th' unfruitful heart, Their fibres penetrate its tend'rest part, And draining its nutritious pow'rs to feed Their noxious growth, starve ev'ry better seed. 1855 A. Bain Senses & Intellect ii. ii. 461 The whole soul passing into one sense aggrandizes that sense and starves the rest. 1866 D. Livingstone 12 Apr. in Last Jrnls. (1874) I. i. 19 Where bamboos prevail they have starved out the woody trees. 1899 T. C. Allbutt et al. Syst. Med. VIII. 780 To endeavour to starve the growth by coagulating the blood-vessels at the base. 1993 Limnography & Oceanogr. 38 1165/2 Bacteria were starved of phosphate for 2 d in a bacterial medium with glucose. 2012 R. Maheshwari Fungi (ed. 2) vi. 108 The rust fungi starve the host plant but do not kill it. c. transitive. To subdue by famine or low diet; to force down, out, or into a course of action by starvation. ΘΚΠ society > authority > subjection > subjecting or subjugation > subject [verb (transitive)] > by starving starve1616 the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > appetite > hunger > hunger for [verb (transitive)] > starve > subdue or force by starving hunger1575 starve1616 1616 T. Scot Philomythie sig. D7^v They said, they would besiege and starue him out. a1625 J. Fletcher Womans Prize i. iii, in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Comedies & Trag. (1647) sig. Nnnnn3^v/2 We will beleaguer 'em, and either starve 'em out, or make 'em recreant. 1727 J. Arbuthnot Tables Anc. Coins 278 There was one Attalus, who endeavoured to starve Italy by stopping their Convoy of Provisions from Africa. 1775 Parl. Reg. 1775–80 II. 74 They..were to be starved into compliance. 1838 C. Dickens Nicholas Nickleby (1839) viii. 67 Every young and healthy feeling flogged and starved down. 1874 J. R. Green Short Hist. Eng. People v. §1. 221 It was not till Philip had failed to relieve it that the town was starved into surrender. 1927 E. R. Burroughs Outlaw of Torn ix. 129 As darkness settled upon the castle the Baron desisted from his attempts, intending to starve his prisoner out. 1971 Sunday Express & News (San Antonio, Texas) 21 Feb. (Sunday One) 2/3 In 1932, the flock was starved down by an uncommonly severe winter. 2012 S. P. Rosen in Competitive Strategies 21st Cent. ii. 14 Great Britain was in imminent danger of being starved into submission. d. transitive. To treat (a disease) by withholding or limiting the patient's food. In later use chiefly in to starve a fever. ΘΚΠ the world > health and disease > healing > medical treatment > treatments by diet > treat by prescribed diet [verb (transitive)] > treat by specific diet starve1617 stuff1769 sagoize1847 1617 F. Moryson Itinerary iii. 159 They..give themselves to the keeping of Irish women, who starve the ague, giving the sick man no meate. 1645 D. North Forest of Varieties i. 111 They pretend to starve the disease when they starve the Patient. 1700 J. Dryden tr. G. Boccaccio Theodore & Honoria in Fables 258 As Men by Fasting starve th' untam'd Disease. 1839 J. W. Croker in Croker Papers 21 Nov. (1884) I. xxi. 358 Last week he [sc. Wellington] had been what he called starving a cold. 1940 Brit. Red Cross Soc. Cookery & Catering Man. (ed. 4) vi. 75 In olden times fevers were starved. In modern days a fever patient is supplied up to the limits of his digestive capacity with fluid or semi-fluid food. 2007 Chicago Tribune (Midwest ed.) 5 Mar. i. 12/4 What a relief to see the myth-busting piece about feeding a cold and starving a fever. 7. figurative and in extended use. a. transitive. To withhold something necessary from; to deprive of essential support or resources; to cause to suffer from spiritual or mental want. Also with for, from, of. Occasionally with out: to destroy or cause to decay by such means. ΚΠ ?1570 T. Drant Two Serm. sig. B.iij Let vs hartily wishe..that they may be..carefull to prouide for the necessities of the realme, specially, that mens soules be not starued with hunger and pine of the worde of God. 1581 G. Pettie tr. S. Guazzo Ciuile Conuersat. (1586) i. 3 b In steede of consuming and staruing your euil, you giue it nourishment. 1598 W. Shakespeare Love's Labour's Lost ii. i. 11 When she did starue the generall world beside, And prodigally gaue them [sc. graces] all to you. View more context for this quotation 1600 W. Shakespeare Midsummer Night's Dream i. i. 222 We must starue our sight, From louers foode, till morrow deepe midnight. View more context for this quotation 1619 M. Drayton To his Coy Love in Poems 303 These poore halfe Kisses kill me quite; Was euer man thus serued? Amidst an Ocean of Delight, For Pleasure to be sterued. 1629 J. Gaule Practique Theories Christs Predict. 403 Neither should his absence starue them, nor his presence cloy them. 1675 R. Baxter Catholick Theol. ii. xiii. 292 And so you starve out and destroy true piety, by calling off the peoples minds to Controversie. 1704 M. Henry Communicant's Compan. in Wks. (1855) I. 309 The soul that is starved is as certainly murdered as the soul that is stabbed. a1732 T. Boston Illustr. Doctr. Christian Relig. (1773) III. 186 If God withdraw any thing from thee, it is but to starve a lust that would feed on it. 1810 S. Perceval in S. Walpole Life & Corr. (1874) II. iv. 133 If you thought they were starving the great cause [the Peninsular War] by any mistaken economy. 1878 D. Kemp Man. Yacht & Boat Sailing 371 Starved of Wind—when a vessel is sailed so near the wind that she does not have enough of it, or feel the weight of it. 1915 F. M. Hueffer Good Soldier iii. v. 207 She was starving herself to build up his fortunes; she allowed herself..no dresses, no jewels—hardly even any friendships, for fear they should cost money. 1940 Daily Progress 20 Mar. 3/5 The fighters tried to starve out the blaze by scraping away the inflammable material in a circle around the fire. 1987 S. Eldred-Grigg Oracles Miracles i. 29 So we were starved of love, and if anybody spoke kindly to me..my eyes would fill up with tears. 2007 Signs 33 35 The women's emergency services were starved of funding, and every second woman fleeing domestic violence had to be turned away by a shelter for lack of space. b. intransitive. To slowly waste away for want of spiritual sustenance or support; to go into a decline when deprived of essential resources. Also with for.Frequently (as in quots. 1577, 1884, 1935) in extended figurative context. ΚΠ 1577 J. Caldwell Serm. preached before Earle of Darbie sig. F.iii For we make our bellyes our God, and our kitchens our religyon, and so that we bee crammed with daintie meates, wee care not though our soules perishe and starue for honger. a1616 W. Shakespeare Comedy of Errors (1623) ii. i. 87 His company must do his minions grace, Whil'st I at home starue for a merrie looke. View more context for this quotation c1616 R. C. Times' Whistle (1871) i. 398 Though our soules doe sterve For want of Knowledge, we doe litle care. 1726 W. Broome in A. Pope et al. tr. Homer Odyssey IV. xviii. 409 Idly thus thy soul prefers to live, And starve by strolling, not by work to thrive. 1762 E. Young Wks. (rev. ed.) IV. 83 They mortify, they starve, on wealth, fame, power; And laugh to scorn the fools that aim at more. 1872 C. Kingsley Lett. (1878) II. 388 The scheme might starve without such more liberal assistance at first. 1884 R. Browning Ferishtah's Fancies (1885) 7 Which lacks food the more, Body or soul in me? I starve in soul. 1935 G. Santayana Last Puritan viii. 166 He is starving for great thoughts, Mr. Alder, his soul can't live without great thoughts. 1971 Lubbock (Texas) Avalanche-Jrnl. 21 July a4/5 The soul starves for far more than bread. III. To die, or cause to die, of cold. 8. a. transitive. To cause to die of cold (also to starve to death); to benumb with cold, to freeze; (also hyperbolically) to make extremely cold. Now chiefly Scottish and English regional.Originally a spec. use of sense 4a. In quot. 1574 in figurative context. ΘΚΠ the world > life > death > cause of death > cause death [verb (transitive)] > by cold starve1574 the world > matter > properties of materials > temperature > coldness > make cold [verb (transitive)] > give sensation of cold to > cause to perish with cold starve1574 perish1796 the world > the earth > structure of the earth > constituent materials > earth or soil > soil qualities > [verb (passive)] > cold for lack of drainage starve1770 1574 H. Howard Def. Eccl. Regiment in Eng. 65 Then would the froste of priuate quarel either sterue the buddes of the gospell, or the rage of spirituall ambition disturbe the pollicie of euery congregation. 1600 P. Holland tr. Livy Rom. Hist. xxi. lviii. 427 Many a man and beast, and seven Elephants..were starved and perished [owing to the intolerable cold]. 1636 A. Cowley Sylva 486 No flower or herbe is neere it found, But a perpetuall winter sterves the ground. 1640 T. Carew Poems 45 The cold and frozen ayre had sterv'd Much poore, if not by thee preserv'd. 1662 J. Davies tr. A. Olearius Voy. & Trav. Ambassadors 37 Their cloaths being all wet about them, most of them would have been starv'd to death in the snow. 1697 Countess D'Aunoy's Trav. (1706) 57 What occasion was there..to put me into such an open place to starve me? c1749 Mr. Bulkeley Diary 22 Feb. in B. Dew Roberts Mr. Bulkeley & Pirate (1936) ii. i. 128 The weather very moderate, but as y^e Evening proved very stormy, I am afraid the poor Children were half starved before they reached Beaumaris. 1770 Lady M. Coke Jrnl. 12 Jan. (1892) III. 203 There is not a window or door that shuts; I am starved to death at my fire side. 1844 M. Howitt tr. W. Hey Child's Picture & Verse Bk. 171 Here is it so cold; it starves us so! Would freeze us, therefore away we go! 1891 Leeds Mercury 19 Dec. 5/6 A man starved to death at Farsley. 1891 North Eastern Daily Gaz. 14 Dec. 3/2 A man starved to death in the storm..was yesterday found at Farsley quite stiff and dead with his walking stick in his hand across his breast. 1893 J. K. Snowden Tales Yorks. Wolds 158 Willie was rubbing his hands slowly before the roaring fire. ‘I'm fearful starved’, he said. 1896 G. F. Northall Warwickshire Word-bk. 227 Don't go out in this cold wind, you'll starve yourself. 1928 A. E. Pease Dict. Dial. N. Riding Yorks. 127/1 T'wind's fit ti starve yĕ. 1958 Huntly Express 30 May 2 It's ower caul', littlin'. Ye wid sterve yersel'. 1995 J. M. Sims-Kimbrey Wodds & Doggerybaw: Lincs. Dial. Dict. 291/1 Put a blanket run 'im an let 'im in the fire; 'e's starved ter deeãd an' 'e's blue an' 'is teeth'r chitterin'. †b. transitive. To render (land) cold through poor drainage. Obsolete. ΚΠ 1766 Museum Rusticum 6 84 Considerable parts of each land, towards each furrow, are starved by the coldness of the water dripping from the higher parts of the lands. 1794 J. Holt Gen. View Agric. Lancaster 59 More attention should be paid to draining marle pits than is generally practised, for..the stagnant water frequently overflows, and starves a large space. 1826 A. Henderson Pract. Grazier x. 420 A trench..should be made at first as narrow and shallow as possible, for they will always get larger by repeated cleaning; and when too deep they starve the land. 1886 R. Holland Gloss. Words County of Chester (at cited word) Land is also said to be starved when it is cold for want of drainage. 9. a. intransitive. To die or be almost dead from exposure to cold; (also hyperbolically) to suffer extreme cold, be benumbed with cold. Now chiefly Scottish and English regional.Cf. sense 2c. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > properties of materials > temperature > coldness > be cold [verb (intransitive)] > be cold or have sensation of cold > perish with cold freeze1390 starve1602 perish1750 bestormed1837 1602 S. Rowlands Greenes Ghost sig. D2 So out of doores go they with his clothes..and left Nicholas Nouice staruing and quaking in that doghole. 1650 R. Heath Occas. Poems 9 in Clarastella See how nakt Charitie Sterves in this frozen age! 1710 J. Swift Jrnl. to Stella 30 Dec. (1948) I. 144 The weather grows cold... I'll go rise, for my hands are starving while I write in bed. 1731 A. Pope Epist. to Earl of Burlington 11 Imitating Fools..Shall call the Winds thro' long Arcades to roar,..And if they starve, they starve by Rules of Art. 1772 J. W. Fletcher Appeal Matter of Fact iii. 106 Whether they starve in the snows of Lapland, or burn in the sands of Guinea? 1824 S. Ferrier Inheritance I. 377 We'll thank you to pull down that window,..for we are perfectly starving here. 1847 E. Brontë Wuthering Heights I. 107 ‘Ellen, shut the window. I'm starving!’ And her teeth chattered as she shrunk closer to the almost extinguished embers. 1884 Era 11 Oct. 9/1 There is the irate father..who drives a tender and loving daughter from the domestic hearth into the snow to starve. 1928 A. E. Pease Dict. Dial. N. Riding Yorks. 127/1 T'hoss is starvin, look sharp an' get him a roog putten on. ?c1982 S. Hamer Clun Dial. Words 13 Starve, to feel desperately cold. 1995 J. M. Sims-Kimbrey Wodds & Doggerybaw: Lincs. Dial. Dict. 291/1 Yah must be starvin'! Cum in an' git yersen reight up ter the fire. 2004 S. Blackhall Boddamers' Monkey 2 Mynd foo we eesed tae sterve wi twa, three lumps o coal? †b. transitive. to starve out: to endure in perishing cold. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > properties of materials > temperature > coldness > be cold [verb (intransitive)] > be cold or have sensation of cold > endure in cold to starve out1609 1609 W. Shakespeare Troilus & Cressida v. xi. 2 Æne. Stand ho? yet are we masters of the field... Troy. Neuer goe home, here starue we out the night. View more context for this quotation Phrases P1. U.S. to starve the beast: to weaken or destroy something powerful and dangerous by means of attrition; (Politics, esp. used by libertarians) to limit or reduce the amount of government spending by cutting taxes. ΚΠ 1898 Morning Star (Sandusky, Ohio) 28 Mar. The condition of Cuba is heartrending... Men are starved as the laws of this land will not allow the citizens to starve the beast. 1921 Freeport (Illinois) Jrnl.-Standard 28 Nov. 9/4 Prevention of tuberculosis through health education in the home and the school will starve the Beast. 1985 Wall Street Jrnl. 21 Oct. 16/1 We didn't starve the beast... It's still eating quite well—by feeding off future generations. 1996 San Jose (California) Mercury News (Nexis) 16 Oct. (Editorial section) 6 b A tax cut, coupled with a balanced budget, will help 'starve the beast', denying the money to make big government bigger. 2011 Vanity Fair Nov. 141/3 This is the essence of the ‘starve the beast’ strategy spearheaded by elite conservative groups..: cut taxes at every opportunity and eventually the government will have to get smaller. P2. Australian slang. starve the crows and variants = stone (or stiffen) the crows at crow n.¹ 3d. Similarly starve the lizards.The phrase alludes to the practice of scaring crows away from cornfields (and thus starving them): see crow-starving n. at crow n.¹ Compounds 2. Cf. also starve-crow n. and adj. at Compounds. ΚΠ 1918 H. Matthews Saints & Soldiers 116 ‘Starve the crows,’ howled Bluey in that agonised screech of his. 1927 Bulletin (Sydney) 27 Jan. 22/2 'Starve the lizards,' he said, 'there ain't no kangaroos in the West now'. 1936 A. Russell Gone Nomad vi. 46 Starve the crows! I laugh ev'ry time I think of it. 1966 ‘J. Hackston’ Father clears Out 156 Trooper Newbigun turned his horse's head and rode off with such dignity that Albert Horne said, just like an Australian, ‘Gawd starve the crows!’ 2004 Herald Sun (Melbourne) (Nexis) 15 Jan. 18 A replica of the Coliseum at the Melbourne Showgrounds? Starve the lizards, why not a miniature Vatican and a resident pope? Compounds starve-crow n. and adj. †(a) n. a piece of land that produces poor crops (obsolete); (b) adj. (of land) producing poor crops; also figurative.Attested earliest in field and place names. Cf. starve-acre n. ΚΠ 1672 J. Eachard Mr. Hobbs's State Nature Considered 112 Because Jonas Moore is not as yet come to divide, and set out the ground, and to call this piece starve-crow, and t'other long acre. 1875 W. Topley Geol. of Weald 185 The outlier of gravel near Starve Crow Farm is at its highest point 253 feet above the sea. 1923 Galveston (Texas) Daily News 18 Feb. 24/2 It was about the worst of all starve-crow farms of Continental Europe. 1925 J. M. Murry Adelphi July 143 In such fields I would gladly wander for ever, and satisfy my hunger for something more than the starve-crow criticism of poetry which we chiefly get to-day. 1945 R. Hargreaves Enemy at Gate 124 The starvecrow days of the Revolution. 1974 W. Leeds Herefordshire Speech 96 Starve-crow farm, very poor farming land. starve-gutted adj. famished, starving; fit for starvation. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > appetite > hunger > [adjective] > hungry > starving or starved hungryc950 ofhungeredOE hungeredc1425 famylousc1475 forhungered1481 hunger-starvena1533 starven1546 hunger-bit1549 hunger-bitten1549 affamished1554 starved1563 starving1581 gaunted1582 famishing1587 food-sick1587 hunger-starving1592 famined1622 gut-foundered1647 hunger-starved1647 starved-gut1653 half-starved1667 clemmed1674 nushed1691 pinch-gutted1704 starve-gutted1726 clemming1773 clung1807 1726 Learned Diss. Dumpling 22 The Enemies of good Eating, the Starve-gutted Authors of Grub-street. 1835 Age 28 June 203/1 Ask yourself if any bit of muslin whatever would be starve-guttedin Mount-street Workhouse, when the said bit of muslin might have her stomach particularly well filled out of it. 1895 Bury & Norwich Post 21 May 8/3 Mr Deeks..ridiculed the idea of a bricklayer working for 5d. an hour, and said he called it a ‘starve gutted wage,’ not a living wage. 1919 J. E. Patterson Passage Barque Sappho vi. 65 'W'y, for twa pins Aa'd tak' yo'r starve-gutted length be the heels an' dip yo'r heid ower- board,' said Smiley. 2003 J. Call Rolling with Tide 112 We really were hongry as starve-gutted dawgs. † starve-yoad n. [ < starve v. + yaud n.] English regional Obsolete rare (perhaps) a piece of poor land, unfit for grazing; cf. starve-crow n. and adj.In quot. perhaps alternatively: a tumble-down stable (in which a horse is inadequately protected from the elements). ΚΠ 1755 R. Radcliffe Let. 4 Nov. in Lett. R. Radcliffe & J. James (1888) 3 Monkhouse has been at Newton, to have t' other view of Starve-yoad. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < n.OEv.OE
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starvev.

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