famishment

From famish +‎ -ment.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈfæmɪʃmənt/

famishment (countable and uncountable, plural famishments)

1. (now literary) The state or process of being famished.

   Synonyms: hunger, inanition, malnourishment, starvation

   • c. 1605, John Davies, “I said unto Laughter, what art thou mad?”, in Wittes Pilgrimage‎:

     Sith you will not attend true Wisedoms Words,
     Laugh and bee fatt, sith al you touch is Gold,
     Though that foode your Soules famishment affordes.

   • 1838, Authentic Narrative of James Williams, an American Slave‎, Boston: Isaac Knapp, Appendix, page 106:

     […] among the French planters, the slaves are in a condition of almost utter famishment during the great portion of the year.

   • 1957, James Purdy, “The Pupil”, in The Complete Short Stories of James Purdy‎, New York: Liveright, published 2013, page 682:

     As the young Cuban tasted his flesh, his tropical appetite long depressed by the North American dryness suddenly revived, and brought to his mind the thought of his long famishment.

   • 1991, Ben Okri, The Famished Road‎, New York: Nan A. Talese, published 1992, Section 1, Book 5, Chapter 2, p. 329:

     He churned the emptiness of my stomach, and stirred the fury of my famishment.

2. (obsolete) Famine.
   • 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Mark xiij:[8], folio lxiiij, verso:

     And there ſhalbe erthquakes / in all quarters / and famyſſhment / and troubles.