thirst

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English thirst, thurst, from Old English þurst, from Proto-West Germanic *þurstu, from Proto-Germanic *þurstuz, from Proto-Indo-European *ters- (“dry”). Germanic cognates include Old High German thurst, Middle High German durst, German Durst, Old Saxon thurst, Old Dutch thursti, Middle Dutch dorst, dorste, Dutch dorst, Old Norse þorsti (Swedish törst, Icelandic þorsti, Faroese tosti, Danish and Norwegian Bokmål tørst, Norwegian Nynorsk tørste). Indo-European cognates include Ancient Greek τέρσομαι (térsomai), Albanian djersë (“sweat”), Sanskrit तृष्णा (tṛṣṇā, “desire; thirst”), Sanskrit तृष्यति (tṛ́ṣyati), Latin terra, Latin torridus. === Pronunciation === enPR: thûrst (Received Pronunciation, General Australian) IPA(key): /θɜːst/ (US) IPA(key): /θɝst/ (Scotland) IPA(key): /θɪɹst/ (New Zealand) IPA(key): /θøːst/ (Liverpool, fair–fur merger) IPA(key): /θeːst/ (Humberside, Teesside, fair–fur merger) IPA(key): /θɛːst/ (th-fronting) IPA(key): /fɜːst/ Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)st Homophone: first (th-fronting) === Noun === thirst (countable and uncountable, plural thirsts) A sensation of dryness in the throat associated with a craving for liquids, produced by deprivation of drink, or by some other cause (such as fear, excitement, etc.) which stops the secretion of the pharyngeal mucous membrane. The condition producing the sensation of thirst. (figuratively) A want and eager desire (for something); a craving or longing. (figuratively) Sexual lust. ==== Synonyms ==== (figuratively): craving, longing ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== hunger === Verb === thirst (third-person singular simple present thirsts, present participle thirsting, simple past and past participle thirsted) (intransitive) To be thirsty. (intransitive, usually followed by "for") To desire vehemently. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Further reading === “thirst”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin Eli Smith, editors (1895–1910), “thirst”, in The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia: […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. === Anagrams === T-shirt, t-shirt, thrist == Middle English == === Alternative forms === thrust, thurst, þirst, þrust, þyrst ðrist, þurst (Early Middle English); þirrst, þrisst (Ormulum) threste, threyst, thrist, thryst (especially East Anglia, Northern); þrast, þrest (East Saxon); thryste (Catholicon Anglicum) þorst, thorst (Kent); derst, ferst, first, furst, furste, þerst, þerste (Southern, West Midland) === Etymology === Inherited from Old English þurst (with vocalism modified after þyrstan), from Proto-West Germanic *þurstu, from Proto-Germanic *þurstuz. Southern and West Midland forms with /f/ either spread to this word from or reflect an apheretic form of afurst, a local variant of athirst, which originated from assimilation of /θ/ to the preceding /f/ in earlier ofþurst. They may have been reinforced by the parallel of afyngred, variant of ofhungred (where a similar assimilatory process occurred). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /θirst/, /θurst/, /θrust/ IPA(key): /θrist/, /θrɛst/ (East Anglia, East Saxon, Northern), /θrast/ (East Saxon) IPA(key): /furst/ (West Midland, Southern) === Noun === thirst (uncountable) Thirst; a need of or desire for hydration. A lack of hydration; parchedness, drought. A strong desire or demand. ==== Related terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== English: thirst Middle Scots: thrist Scots: thrist Shetland: trist ==== References ==== “thirst, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007. “thirst, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.