\Fam"ish\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Famished}; p. pr. & vb.
n. {Famishing}.] [OE. famen; cf. OF. afamer, L. fames. See
{Famine}, and cf. {Affamish}.]
1. To starve, kill, or destroy with hunger. --Shak.
2. To exhaust the strength or endurance of, by hunger; to
   distress with hanger.
         And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the
         people cried to Pharaoh for bread.    --Cen. xli.
                                               55.
         The pains of famished Tantalus he'll feel. --Dryden.
3. To kill, or to cause to suffer extremity, by deprivation
   or denial of anything necessary.
         And famish him of breath, if not of bread. --Milton.
4. To force or constrain by famine.
         He had famished Paris into a surrender. --Burke.

\Fam"ish\, v. i.
1. To die of hunger; to starve.
2. To suffer extreme hunger or thirst, so as to be exhausted
   in strength, or to come near to perish.
         You are all resolved rather to die than to famish?
                                               --Shak.
3. To suffer extremity from deprivation of anything essential
   or necessary.
         The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous
         to famish.                            --Prov. x. 3.

\Fam"ish\, a.
Smoky; hot; choleric.