the act of depriving of food or subjecting to famine; "the besiegers used starvation to induce surrender"; "they were charged with the starvation of children in their care"
a state of extreme hunger resulting from lack of essential nutrients over a prolonged period
the convergence of two parallel railroad tracks in a narrow place; the inner rails cross and run parallel and then diverge so a train remains on its own tracks at all times
a pernicious and malign influence that is hard to get rid of; "racism is a pestilence at the heart of the nation"; "according to him, I was the canker in their midst"