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shortage

noun [C]
 
 
/ˈʃɔː.tɪdʒ/ US  /ˈʃɔːr.t̬ɪdʒ/

Definition

B2 a situation in which there is not enough of something: There's a shortage of food and shelter in the refugee camps. The long hot summer has led to serious water shortages.Lacking thingsScarce, inadequate and not enoughEssential or necessaryScarce, inadequate and not enoughLacking things
(Definition of shortage noun from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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