WordNet 3.0
Noun (2)
- the property of being an amount by which something is less than expected or required“new blood vessels bud out from the already dilated vascular bed to make up the nutritional deficit”Synonyms: deficitshortfall
- an acute insufficiencySynonyms: dearthfamine
Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)
Shortage \Short"age\, n. Amount or extent of deficiency, as determined by some requirement or standard; as, a shortage in money accounts. [1913 Webster]