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Dearth vs Pittance - What's the difference?

dearth | pittance |

As nouns the difference between dearth and pittance

is that dearth is a period or condition when food is rare and hence expensive; famine while pittance is a small allowance of food and drink; a scanty meal.

dearth

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • (rfc-sense) A period or condition when food is rare and hence expensive; famine.
  • (by extension) Scarcity; a lack or short supply.
  • * 1608 , William Shakespeare, King Lear :
    • I promise you, the effects he writes of succeed unhappily: as of unnaturalness between the child and the parent; death, dearth , dissolutions of ancient amities; divisions in state, menaces and maledictions against king and nobles; needless diffidences, banishment of friends, dissipation of cohorts, nuptial breaches, and I know not what.
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  • (obsolete) Dearness; the quality of being rare or costly.
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    • Synonyms

    * (period when food is rare) famine, shortage * (scarcity) paucity, scarcity

    Anagrams

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    pittance

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A small allowance of food and drink; a scanty meal.
  • A meagre allowance of money or wages.
  • * 1898 , , (Moonfleet) Chapter 5
    • So I went to keep house with him at the Why Not? and my aunt sent down my bag of clothes, and would have made over to Elzevir the pittance that my father left for my keep, but he said it was not needful, and he would have none of it.
  • A small amount.