v. Obs.; also 7 afamish. [f. Fr. affame-r, OFr. afamer, afemer, = Pr. afamar, It. affamare, pointing to a late L. or early Rom. *affamāre, f. ad to, famem hunger. Many OFr. vbs. in -er had variants in -ir, -iss-ant (whence Eng. -ISH); cf. AFFEEBLE, AFFEEBLISH; on this analogy other Fr. vbs. in -er received the ending -ish in Eng.]

1

  1.  trans. To afflict with hunger or famine; to starve.

2

1568.  Bible (‘Bishops’), Gen. xlii. 55. All the land of Egypt was affamished.

3

1615.  Byfield, On Coloss. i. 21 (1869), 125/2. The deadness of his heart, which afamisheth the soul in spiritual things.

4

1633.  Bp. Hall, Hard Texts, 249. The foolish slothful man … affamisheth himselfe with wilfull idleness.

5

  2.  intr. (fr. refl.) To suffer or perish from hunger.

6

1622.  Bp. Hall, Serm., 130. That men may not affamish, whom God hath fed.

7

1655.  G. Hall, Triumphs of Rome, 123. Beggars which are ready to affamish for want.

8