Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A long period of abnormally low rainfall, especially one that adversely affects growing or living conditions.
  • noun A prolonged dearth or shortage.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Dryness.
  • noun Dry weather; want of rain or of moisture; such a continuance of dry weather as injuriously affects vegetation; aridness.
  • noun Thirst; want of drink.
  • noun Figuratively, scarcity; lack.
  • noun A dialectal form of draft, draught.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Dryness; want of rain or of water; especially, such dryness of the weather as affects the earth, and prevents the growth of plants; aridity.
  • noun Thirst; want of drink.
  • noun Scarcity; lack.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A period of below average rain fall, longer and more severe than a dry spell
  • noun by extension, informal A longer than expected term without success, particularly in sport.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a prolonged shortage
  • noun a shortage of rainfall

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old English drūgoth; akin to drȳge, dry.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old English drūġaþ.

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