starve
Pronunciation: (stärv), [key] — v., starved, starv•ing.
—v.i. - to die or perish from lack of food or nourishment.
- to be in the process of perishing or suffering severely from hunger.
- to suffer from extreme poverty and need.
- to feel a strong need or desire: The child was starving for affection.
- to perish or suffer extremely from cold.
- to die.
—v.t. - to cause to starve; kill, weaken, or reduce by lack of food.
- to subdue, or force to some condition or action, by hunger: to starve a besieged garrison into a surrender.
- to cause to suffer for lack of something needed or craved.
- to cause to perish, or to suffer extremely, from cold.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.