drought

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a shortage of rainfall

   farmers most affected by the drought hope that there may yet be sufficient rain early in the growing season

2. 2
   noun

   a prolonged shortage

   when England defeated Pakistan it ended a ten-year drought

3. 3
   noun

   A period of unusually low rainfall, longer and more severe than a dry spell.

   His village had faced a drought twice.

4. 4
   noun

   A longer than expected term without success, particularly in sport.

   Sri Lanka ended their ten-game drought with a consolation win over Bangladesh.

5. 5
   noun

   dryness, aridness, dry heat

   Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.

6. 6
   name

   A surname.

Etymology

From Middle English droughte, droghte, drouȝte, from Old English drūgaþ. Cognate with Dutch droogte, Low German Dröögde. By surface analysis, dry + -t (abstract nominal suffix).