Word a Day
paucity
What does paucity mean?
paucity (noun): a smallness in size or amount that is insufficient; meagerness, dearth.
Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How do you use paucity in a sentence?
- I'm going to have to reserve judgment on account of the paucity of information related to the subject. (Tatoeba sentence #10478490 by shekitten, CC BY 2.0 FR)
- The paucity of replies suggests that people either don't care, haven't seen it, or don't know what to say. (Tatoeba sentence #10640481 by shekitten, CC BY 2.0 FR)
How do you pronounce paucity?
/ˈpɔsəti/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does paucity come from?
From Middle English paucete, paucite, paucyte, partly from Middle French paucité and partly from its etymon, Latin paucitās (“a small number, fewness, scarcity”), from paucus (“few, little”).
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Test yourself: do you know “paucity”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “paucity” mean?
an act of urging on or spurring on or rousing to action or instigating
Not quite: that's what incitement means.
a diversion that occupies one's time and thoughts (usually pleasantly)
Not quite: that's what pastime means.
a small flaw which spoils the appearance of something, a stain, a spot
Not quite: that's what blemish means.
a smallness in size or amount that is insufficient; meagerness, dearth
Right! That's what “paucity” means.
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