starve

English

/stɑːv/, /stɑɹv/

verb
Definitions
  • (intransitive) To die; in later use especially to die slowly, waste away.
  • (intransitive) To die because of lack of food or of not eating.
  • (intransitive) To be very hungry.
  • (transitive) To destroy, make capitulate or at least make suffer by deprivation, notably of food.
  • (transitive) To deprive of nourishment or of some vital component.
  • (intransitive) To deteriorate for want of any essential thing.
  • (transitive) To kill with cold.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English sterven inherited from Old English steorfan (die) inherited from Proto-Germanic *sterbaną (die, become stiff) derived from Proto-Indo-European *(s)terp- (become numb, be motionless, be dead, lose force, lose sensibility, lose strength), *sterbʰ- (become stiff, be stiff).

Origin

Proto-Indo-European

*sterbʰ-

Gloss

become stiff, be stiff

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms