lack
nounverbnouncommon in dialogue
- United States//læk//
A deficiency or need (of something desirable or necessary); an absence, want, dearth.
noun
- 1
A deficiency or need (of something desirable or necessary); an absence, want, dearth.
[…] let his lack of years be no impediment to let him lack a reverend estimation;
I went to a shrink, to analyze my dreams. He said it's lack of sex that's bringing me down.
If Moldova harboured even the slightest hopes of pulling off a comeback that would have bordered on miraculous given their lack of quality, they were snuffed out 13 minutes before the break when Oxlade-Chamberlain picked his way through midfield before releasing Defoe for a finish that should have been dealt with more convincingly by Namasco at his near post.
More flak was aimed at the Treasury's apparent lack of marketing skills, when it was argued that its idea of how to sell tickets was along the lines of "you can get two tickets for the price of two", and it lacks the sales and promotional skills of the train operating companies which are needed to boost revenue.
- 2
obsoleteA defect or failing; moral or spiritual degeneracy.
In the old days, to my commonplace and unobserving mind, he gave no evidences of genius whatsoever. He never read me any of his manuscripts, […], and therefore my lack of detection of his promise may in some degree be pardoned.
Etymology
From Middle English lack, lakke, lak, from Old English *læc (“deficiency, lack, want”), from Proto-West Germanic *lak, from Proto-Germanic *laką, *lakaz (“slackness”), from Proto-Germanic *lakaz (“limp, slack, loose, low”), related to *lak(k)ōną (“to blame, reproach”), from Proto-Indo-European *lok-néh₂-. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Lak (“lack”), Middle Low German lack, lak (“lack”), Dutch lak (“lack, deficiency, calumny”), Icelandic lakur (“lacking”). Related also to Middle Dutch laken (“to blame, lack”). Eclipsed non-native Middle English carence (“absence, lack”), from Old French carence.
verb
- 1
To be without, not to have, to need, to require.
My life lacks excitement.
More flak was aimed at the Treasury's apparent lack of marketing skills, when it was argued that its idea of how to sell tickets was along the lines of "you can get two tickets for the price of two", and it lacks the sales and promotional skills of the train operating companies which are needed to boost revenue.
- 2
To be short (of or for something).
He'll never lack for company while he's got all that money.
Hamlet. What hour now? Horatio. I think it lacks of twelve.
- 3
obsoleteTo be in want.
The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger […]
- 4
obsoleteTo see the deficiency in (someone or something); to find fault with, to malign, reproach.
That is Mede þe Mayde quod she · hath noyed me ful oft / And ylakked my lemman.
- 5
To be off one's guard.
His opps caught him lacking.
Etymology
From Middle English lacken, lakken, laken, from Old English læccian, *lacian (“to blame, criticise, lack”), from Proto-West Germanic *lak(k)ōn (“to blame, be lacking”), from Proto-Germanic *lak(k)ōną (“to reproach, blame, be lacking”), from Proto-Indo-European *lok-néh₂-. Cognate with Old Frisian lakia, lekia (“to contest, blame”), Middle Low German lacken, laken (“to reproach, blame, criticise”), Middle Dutch laken (“to disapprove, blame, lack”), Dutch laken (“to blame, reproach”).
noun
- 1
Variant of lakharchaicArchaic form of lakh.
a lack of rupees
Forms
- plural
- lacks
- past tense
- lacked
- past participle
- lacked
- present participle
- lacking
- third person singular
- lacks
lack · A deficiency or need (of something desirable or necessary); an absence, want, dearth.
lacking · The absence of something that is desirable or otherwise ought…Lacks · A surnamelacrosse · A sport played on a field between two opposing teams using…