Long periods of time when there is very little or no rainfall, causing water shortages.
From Old English 'drugath' related to 'dry,' with roots possibly connecting to Proto-Indo-European words for 'to draw' or 'to move.' The meaning has remained consistent for over 1,000 years.
Medieval people called droughts 'dearths,' and they were so feared that entire towns were abandoned and famine became inevitable—today's global irrigation systems exist precisely because humanity learned droughts could be managed with water storage and engineering.
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