starveling
/ˈstɑːrvlɪŋ/
noun
- A person or animal that is suffering from lack of food; a very thin, underfed creature.
- The rescue team found a starveling kitten hiding under the porch.
- The stray dog was a starveling, its ribs showing through its matted fur.
- In the novel, the orphan is depicted as a pitiful starveling begging for scraps.
adjective
- Extremely thin and weak from lack of food; starving.
- The old photograph showed a starveling family during the famine.
- The starveling child clutched the bread with trembling hands.
- They discovered a starveling plant that had received no water for weeks.