Part of Speech-Noun

Definition-A situation in which people do not have enough food to eat

Source–http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/famine

Encountering of Word-While reading a textbook i came upon: “White immigrants were fleeing lives torn by famine, warfare, and religious persecution.”

Understanding-I see that the authors were stating that the lack of food was one of the causes to why the white immigrants had to flee from their normal original lives.