droughtdrought /draʊt/ ●●○ noun [countable, uncountable] 
WORD ORIGINdrought
Origin:
Old English drugath; related to dryEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- A severe drought has caused most of the corn crop to fail.
- Central Africa is suffering one of the worst droughts of the century.
- Another issue highlighted in the report was the alleged importation of toxic maize as part of a drought relief effort.
- As El Ni o ebbs away, drought follows the torrential rain.
- But most everything evens out during the summer drought.
- Fires continued to burn elsewhere in the West in states plagued by one of the worst droughts of the century.
- In his benevolent aspect he is the source of rain and hence petitioned to alleviate drought, and also to prevent meningitis.
- Studies link the drought to a sunspot cycle not due to end until the millennium.
- The black color comes from the periodic fires that burned naturally in the Everglades during droughts.
THESAURUSnatural disasters
a sudden shaking of the Earth’s surface that often causes a lot of damage: · A powerful earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.· It was the biggest earthquake to hit the Pacific Northwest for 52 years.
a very large amount of water that covers an area that is usually dry: · Bangladesh has been hit by a series of devastating floods (=very bad floods).· The crisis began with floods that covered one third of the countryside.
a long period of dry weather when there is not enough water for plants and animals to live: · The country experienced its worst drought this century.· In East Africa, three years of drought have left 10 million people in urgent need of food and water.
a situation in which a large number of people have little or no food for a long time and many people die: · Poor harvests led to famine.· 4,000,000 people are threatened by famine in northern Ethiopia.
a storm that has very strong fast winds and that moves over water – used about storms in the North Atlantic Ocean: · extreme weather such as hurricanes· Hurricane Andrew left southern Florida in ruins.
a violent tropical storm – used about storms in the Western Pacific Ocean: · A typhoon has hit the Philippines, lifting roofs off houses and uprooting trees.·
a very large wave, caused by extreme conditions such as an earthquake, which can cause a lot of damage when it reaches land: · Thousands of people were killed in the tsunami.· Many Pacific earthquakes have generated tsunamis.
Longman Language Activatorwhen there is not much rain if the weather is dry , there is not much rain: · It was a very dry summer.· The weather tomorrow will be sunny and dry.· Tunisia has a hot, dry climate.· In Arizona, the air is often extremely dry.
a long period when there is little or no rain, so that people and animals do not have enough water and plants die: · Central Africa is suffering one of the worst droughts of the century.· A severe drought has caused most of the corn crop to fail.
a dusty road, town, track etc is dry and covered with dust, because the weather is hot and there is not much rain: · The road to Bangalore was hot and dusty.· Samandari lives in a small dusty village on the edge of the desert.
land that is arid is extremely dry and produces low quality crops because there is very little rain: · Much of Namibia is arid country and only fit for raising goats.· The region is an arid wasteland.
ground that is parched is completely dry because the weather has been very hot and there has been no rain for a long time: · The earth was so parched that there were huge cracks in it.· The parched yellow landscape of Death Valley stretched out for miles in front of us.
WORD SETSbackwater, nounbank, nounbank, verbbare, adjectivebarrier reef, nounbay, nounbayou, nounbeach, nounbeck, nounbelt, nounbillow, nounbiting, adjectivebitter, adjectiveblack ice, nounblast, nounblazing, adjectivebleach, verbblizzard, nounblow, verbblowy, adjectivebluff, nounbluster, verbblustery, adjectivebog, nounboiling, adjectiveboulder, nounbracing, adjectivebreaker, nounbreeze, nounbreezy, adjectivebrook, nounbrush, nounbrushwood, nounburn, nounbutte, nouncanyon, nouncascade, nouncataract, nouncave, nouncavern, nounchange, verbchasm, nounchoppy, adjectiveclap, nounclear, verbclement, adjectivecliff, nouncloud, nouncloudburst, nouncloudy, adjectivecoast, nouncoastal, adjectivecoastline, nouncone, nouncopse, nouncountry, nouncranny, nouncrater, nouncreation, nouncreep, verbcrisp, adjectivecrosswind, nouncumulus, nouncyclone, noundale, noundell, noundense, adjectivedew, noundewdrop, noundewfall, noundewy, adjectivedisgorge, verbdog days, noundownpour, noundownriver, adverbdownstream, adverbdownwind, adverbdrift, verbdrift, noundriftwood, noundrizzle, noundrop, verbdrop, noundrought, noundry, adjectivedry land, noundull, adjectivedune, nounduster, noundust storm, nouneast, adjectiveeddy, nounelectrical storm, nounequable, adjectiveeye, nounface, nounfail, verbfair, adjectivefall, nounfell, nounfen, nounfield, nounfierce, adjectivefiord, nounfirth, nounfjord, nounflood, verbflood, nounflood tide, nounflotsam, nounflow, nounflow, verbflower, nounflurry, nounfog, nounfogbound, adjectivefoggy, adjectivefoothill, nounfoothold, nounford, nounforeshore, nounforest, nounfoul, adjectivefreak, adjectivefreeze, nounfresh, adjectivefreshen, verbfreshwater, adjectivefrost, nounfury, noungale, noungale force, adjectivegap, noungentle, adjectivegeyser, nounglacial, adjectiveglen, noungnarled, adjectivegrassy, adjectivegreen, adjectivegreenery, nounground, nounground level, noungulley, noungully, noungust, noungust, verbgusty, adjectivehail, nounhailstone, nounhailstorm, nounhaze, nounheadwind, nounheath, nounheather, nounheat wave, nounhigh tide, nounhigh water, nounhill, nounhillock, nounhillside, nounhill station, nounhilly, adjectivehoarfrost, nounhot spring, nounhummock, nounhurricane, nounice, nouniceberg, nounice cap, nouninclement, adjectiveincline, nounIndian summer, nouninland, adjectiveinland, adverbinlet, nouninshore, adverbisland, nounisle, nounislet, nounjetsam, nounjungle, nounknoll, nounlake, nounlakeside, adjectiveledge, nounlightning, nounlip, nounloch, nounlough, nounlow tide, nounlow water, nounmarshland, nounmeadow, nounmere, nounmild, adjectivemillpond, nounmire, nounmist, nounmisty, adjectivemoan, verbmoan, nounmonsoon, nounmoonless, adjectivemoor, nounmoorland, nounMother Nature, nounmound, nounmountain, nounmountainous, adjectivemountainside, nounmountaintop, nounmouth, nounmudflat, nounmull, nounmurmur, verbmurmur, nounnarrows, nounnestle, verbnew moon, nounnook, nounnorth, adjectivenortheast, adjectivenortheaster, nounnortheasterly, adjectivenortherly, adjectivenorthwest, adjectivenorthwester, nounnorthwesterly, adjectivenotch, nounoasis, nounonshore, adjectiveooze, nounoutcrop, nounovercast, adjectiveozone, nounpack ice, nounpalisade, nounpanorama, nounparch, verbparched, adjectivepass, nounpatchy, adjectivepeak, nounpeal, nounpeasouper, nounpebble, nounpelt, verbpenumbra, nounperishing, adjectivepinewood, nounpinnacle, nounpitiless, adjectivepond, nounpour, verbprecipice, nounprospect, nounpuddle, nounquicksand, nounradiate, verbraging, adjectiverain, nounrainbow, nounrain drop, nounrainfall, nounrainstorm, nounrainwater, nounrainy, adjectiverange, nounrapids, nounrarefied, adjectiveravine, nounraw, adjectiverecede, verbreedy, adjectivereef, nounreservoir, nounridge, nounrift, nounrime, nounrise, verbrise, nounrock, nounrocky, adjectiveroll, verbrolling, adjectiverough, adjectiverural, adjectivescenery, nounscud, verbsea breeze, nounsea mist, nounset, verbshore, nounsky, nounslope, nounsludge, nounsnow, nounsnowbound, adjectivesnow-capped, adjectivesnowdrift, nounsnowfall, nounsnowflake, nounsnowstorm, nounsnowy, adjectivesouth, adjectivesoutheast, adjectivesoutheaster, nounsoutheasterly, adjectivesoutherly, adjectivesouthwest, adjectivesouthwesterly, adjectivespinney, nounspring, nounstream, nounsullen, adjectivesultry, adjectivesummer, nounsummit, nounsun, nounsundown, nounsun-drenched, adjectivesunrise, nounsunset, nounsunshine, nounswamp, nounsweep, verbswollen, adjectivetempestuous, adjectivethaw, verbthaw, nounthicket, nounthin, adjectivethunder, verbthunderbolt, nounthunderstorm, nounthundery, adjectivetide, nountreeless, adjectivetree-lined, adjectivetrough, nounturf, nountussock, nountwilight, nounvale, nounvalley, nounverdant, adjectivevisibility, nounvoid, nounwashout, nounwater, nounwatercourse, nounwaterfall, nounwaterside, nounwaterspout, nounwax, verbwest, adjectivewest, adverbwestbound, adjectivewesterly, adjectivewesternmost, adjectivewestward, adverbwet, adjectivewhirlpool, nounwhirlwind, nounwhite horses, nounwhitewater, nounwild, adjectivewill o' the wisp, nounwind, nounwindstorm, nounwindswept, adjectivewindy, adjectivewood, nounwooded, adjectivewoodland, nounwoodsy, adjectivewoody, adjectivezephyr, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
drought-stricken farmersCOLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
a long period of dry weather when there is not enough water for plants and animals to live drought-stricken farmers· The country is in the depths of a recession, made worse by the worst drought in living memory.· Fires continued to burn elsewhere in the West in states plagued by one of the worst droughts of the century.· Agricultural production fell by 10.8 percent, largely due to the effects of the country's worst drought in 50 years.· The worst drought in 30 years and an upsurge in fighting has created huge armies of refugees.· Already, he says, it is worse than the drought of 1956, once considered the definitive Texas dry spell.
· Then there was a long drought which produced a very poor harvest.· Britain is now experiencing the longest drought on record since 1745.· It was overtaken by a long cyclical drought.· They can survive long periods of drought encased in mud, until the next rainy season.· They have the characteristic of never running dry in the longest drought or freezing in the coldest frost.· The reason may be the long continued drought.
· However, prolonged drought, and in Matebeleland armed conflict, have limited its effectiveness.· This is commonly blamed on a prolonged drought during the amelioration of climate following the last glaciation.· This summer, the situation has been exacerbated by prolonged drought.
· In the early 1980s, there was another severe drought cycle but the adverse impact was less.· A severe drought caused most of the crops to fail, then winds reaching hurricane force destroyed what was left.· The previous warnings in the Horn were, like the present one, prompted by severe drought.· Under natural conditions some bands die out due to severe drought, disease, or increased predation.· But there may also be more extremes in the weather such as severe storms, droughts and floods.· Not long after my first visit, Navajo country suffered a severe drought.· This year a severe drought threatens the lives of 3m people, half the population.· During the same period, the city experienced its first severe drought.
NOUN· Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is hoping he could be the answer to his side's goal drought.· That ended the Flyers' goal drought at 135 minutes, 28 seconds.
· Some of these isolated populations are subject to predation, others to starvation, flooding, severe winters or summer drought.· But most everything evens out during the summer drought.· Roots of wheat which have been stunted by excessive water in spring will be less able to withstand a summer drought.· I visited the site in late September, at the end of the summer drought, with the land grey and lifeless.· Worms are a staple diet and these have been in short supply due to the summer drought.· Then a summer drought parched the land, turning green prairies a dusty yellow brown.
· This is useful, because by comparing previous drought years like 1976, you can draw a lot of conclusions.· Some farmers made enough money to buy more land and survive drought years and stay in business.
VERB· Both places represent semiarid savannas and have repeatedly been affected by drought and famine.· Their ten-year water rights are up for renegotiation in 1997, and will be affected by the drought.
· It is caused not only by drought but also by high world food prices and use of land for cash-crop exports.· The last few years have seen widespread damage to homes through storms, floods, extreme cold and subsidence caused by drought.
· Keating and state weather officials said at least 5 inches is needed in the wheat belt to end the drought.· To end their drought, the Lakers had to first lose the halftime momentum for the second time this week.