Etymology : Middle English, from Old English hungor; akin to Old High German hungar hunger, Lithuanian kanka torture
Pronunciation : 'h&[ng]-g&r
Function : noun
Date : before 12th century
1. desire for food, need for food; feeling of needing to eat; yearning desire, craving. need to eat, feel the desire to eat; yearn for, desire. hunger\hun"ger\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. hungered ; p. pr. & vb. n. hungering.] [oe. hungren, as. hyngrian. see:
hunger, n.].
2. to feel the craving or uneasiness occasioned by want of food; to be oppressed by hunger.
3. to have an eager desire; to long. blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteouness. v. 6.hunger \hun"ger\ , n. [as. hungor; akin to ofries. hunger, d. honger, os. & ohg. hungar, g. hunger, icel. hungr, sw. & dan. hunger, goth. h hrus hunger, huggrjan to hunger.].
4. an uneasy sensation occasioned normally by the want of food; a craving or desire for food.note: the sensation of hunger is usually referred to the stomach, but is probably dependent on excitation of the sensory nerves, both of the stomach and intestines, and perhaps also on indirect impressions from other organs, more or less exhausted from lack of nutriment.
5. any strong eager desire. o sacred hunger of ambitious minds! for hunger of my gold i die.hunger \hun"ger\, v. t. to make hungry; to famish. [hunger n.
6. a physiological need for food [syn: hungriness].
7. strong desire for something (not food or drink): "a thirst for knowledge"; "hunger for affection" [syn: thirst] v 1: feel the need to eat 2: have a craving, appetite, or great desire for [syn: crave, thirst, starve, lust].
8. be hungry; go without food; "let's eat--i'm starving!" [syn: starve, famish] [ant: be full].
9. An uneasy sensation occasioned normally by the want of food; a craving or desire for food.
10. Any strong eager desire.
11. To feel the craving or uneasiness occasioned by want of food; to be oppressed by hunger.
12. To have an eager desire; to long.
13. To make hungry; to famish. strong desire for something ; "a thirst for knowledge"; "hunger for affection" a physiological need for food; the consequence of foood deprivation feel the need to eat.
14. 1. Hunger is the feeling of weakness or discomfort that you get when you need something to eat. Hunger is the body's signal that levels of blood sugar are too low The nutritionally balanced menus are designed to help you lose up to a pound a day without hunger pangs.
15. Hunger is a severe lack of food which causes suffering or death. Three hundred people in this town are dying of hunger every day. = starvation.
16. If you have a hunger for something, you want or need it very much. Geffen has a hunger for success that seems bottomless. = craving.
17. emphasis If you say that someone hungers for something or hungers after it, you are emphasizing that they want it very much. But Jules was not eager for classroom learning, he hungered for adventure. hunger for/after to want something very much.