penury Hear it!

penury definition

penu·ry (pen′yo̵̅o̅ rē, -yə-)

noun

lack of money, property, or necessities; extreme poverty; destitution

Etymology: ME pennury < L penuria, want, scarcity < paene, scarcely: see passion

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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