drought
DROWT
/draʊt/
A prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water.
Refers to extended moisture deficits affecting agriculture, reservoirs, and climate.
The story behind the word. From Old English drugoþ, derived from Proto-Germanic root drugis meaning 'dry'. It shares direct ancestry with the word 'dry', reflecting ancient anxiety over crop failure due to lack of rain.
Word relationships
- dry spell: A dry spell implies a shorter, less catastrophic period of dry weather than a drought.
- aridity: Aridity describes a permanent climate characteristic, whereas a drought is a temporary anomaly.
- deluge: A severe flood or torrential downpour of water.
Commonly confused with
- draft: Draft refers to air currents, military consignment, or preliminary writing, pronounced the same in British English.
Word family
- droughty (adjective): Characterized by dry weather.
Collocations
- severe drought
- prolonged drought
- drought conditions
- drought relief
Idioms & expressions
- drought of ideas
Example sentences
- "The multi-year drought dried up local reservoirs and forced farmers to fallow thousands of acres." Agricultural report
- "The basketball team finally broke their scoring drought with a three-pointer late in the quarter." Sports commentary metaphor
Memory hook
DROUGHT has DRY right in its meaning: D-R-O-U-G-H-T = Dry Out Under Ghastly Heat Today. Prolonged dry period.
When not to use
Do not use for brief dry spells lasting only a few sunny days.
Fun facts
- The longest recorded drought in history occurred in the Atacama Desert in Chile, lasting 400 years.
Related words
Explore more words
arid, depletion, Climate Change, irrigation, deprived, dehydrate
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