Starve, v. t. 1. To destroy with cold.
From beds of raging fire, to starve in ice
Their soft ethereal warmth. Milton.
2. To kill with hunger; as, maliciously to starve a man is, in law, murder.
3. To distress or subdue by famine; as, to starve a garrison into a surrender.
Attalus endeavored to starve Italy by stopping their convoy of provisions from Africa. Arbuthnot.
4. To destroy by want of any kind; as, to starve plants by depriving them of proper light and air.
5. To deprive of force or vigor; to disable.
The pens of historians, writing thereof, seemed starved for matter in an age so fruitful of memorable actions. Fuller.
The powers of their minds are starved by disuse. Locke.