WANT, n.

1. Deficiency; defect; the absence of that which is necessary or useful; as, a want of power or knowledge for any purpose; want of food and clothing. The want of money is a common want. – 2 Cor. viii. ix. From having wishes in consequence of our wants, we often feel wants in consequence of our wishes. – Rambler.
2. Need; necessity; the effect of deficiency. Pride is as loud a beggar as want, and more saucy. – Franklin.
3. Poverty; penury; indigence. Nothing is so hard for those who abound in riches as to conceive how others can be in want. – Swift.
4. The state of not having. I can not write a letter at present for want of time.
5. That which is not possessed, but is desired or necessary, for use or pleasure. Habitual superfluities become actual wants. – Paley.
6. A mole. – Heylin.

1. To be deficient; not to be sufficient. As in bodies, thus in souls, we find What wants in blood and spirits, swell'd with wind. – Pope.
2. To fail; to be deficient; to be lacking. No time shall find me wanting to my truth. – Dryden.
3. To be missed; not to be present. The jury was full, wanting one.
4. To fall short; to be lacking. Twelve, wanting one, he slew. – Dryden.

1. To be destitute; to be deficient in; not to have; a word of general application; as, to want knowledge; to want judgment; to want learning; to want food and clothing; to want money.
2. To be defective or deficient in. Timber may want strength or solidity to answer its purpose.
3. To fall short; not to contain or have. The sum wants a dollar of the amount of debt. Nor think, though men were none, / That heaven would want spectators, God want praise. – Milton.
4. To be without. The unhappy never want enemies. – Richardson.
5. To need; to have occasion for, as useful, proper or requisite. Our manners want correction. In winter we want a fire; in summer we want cooling breezes. We all want more public spirit and more virtue.
6. To wish for; to desire. Every man wants a little preeminence over his neighbor. Many want that which they can not obtain, and which if they could obtain, would certainly ruin them. What wants my son. – Addison.

1. The state of not having; the condition of being without anything; absence or scarcity of what is needed or desired; deficiency; lack; as, a want of power or knowledge for any purpose; want of food and clothing.
   
   

   And me, his parent, would full soon devour
   For want of other prey. Milton.

   From having wishes in consequence of our wants, we often feel wants in consequence of our wishes. Rambler.

   Pride is as loud a beggar as want, and more saucy. Franklin.

2. To be without] to be destitute of, or deficient in; not to have; to lack; as, to want knowledge; to want judgment; to want learning; to want food and clothing.
   
   

   They that want honesty, want anything. Beau. *** Fl.

   Nor think, though men were none,
   That heaven would want spectators, God want praise. Milton.

   The unhappy never want enemies. Richardson.

3. To be absent; to be deficient or lacking; to fail; not to be sufficient; to fall or come short; to lack; -- often used impersonally with of; as, it wants ten minutes of four.
   
   

   The disposition, the manners, and the thoughts are all before it; where any of those are wanting or imperfect, so much wants or is imperfect in the imitation of human life. Dryden.

4. A colloquial contraction of was not.
5. Specifically, absence or lack of necessaries; destitution; poverty; penury; indigence; need.
   
   

   Nothing is so hard for those who abound in riches, as to conceive how others can be in want. Swift.

6. To have occasion for, as useful, proper, or requisite] to require; to need; as, in winter we want a fire; in summer we want cooling breezes.
7. To be in a state of destitution; to be needy; to lack.
   
   

   You have a gift, sir (thank your education),
   Will never let you want. B. Jonson.

   For as in bodies, thus in souls, we find
   What wants in blood and spirits, swelled with wind. Pope.

   * Want was formerly used impersonally with an indirect object. "Him wanted audience." Chaucer.

8. That which is needed or desired; a thing of which the loss is felt; what is not possessed, and is necessary for use or pleasure.
   
   

   Habitual superfluities become actual wants. Paley.

9. To feel need of; to wish or long for; to desire; to crave.
   
   
   " What wants my son?" Addison.

   I want to speak to you about something. A. Trollope.

10. A depression in coal strata, hollowed out before the subsequent deposition took place.
    
    
    [Eng.]

    Syn. -- Indigence; deficiency; defect; destitution; lack; failure; dearth; scarceness.