Clem

/klɛm/ verb

Definition

to suffer from hunger or to starve (archaic/dialectal term).

Etymology

From Old English 'clemman' or 'clam' meaning to pinch, squeeze, or starve. It's a rarely used word now, mostly found in historical or regional dialects.

Kelly Says

Some words like 'clem' are fading from English because people stopped using them—it's a reminder that language is always dying as older words are replaced by newer ones!

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