pēnūrĭa or paenūrĭa, ae, f. [Gr. πένομαι, to toil; πένης, poor; cf. σπάνις, πεῖνα], want, need, scarcity of any thing (class.; syn.: inopia, egestas).
I Lit., esp. of want of the necessaries of life; constr. with or (less freq.) without a gen.: cibi, Lucr. 5, 1007: victūs, Hor. S. 1, 1, 98: edendi, Verg. A. 7, 113: aquarum, Sall. J. 17, 5: rerum necessariarum, id. ib. 23, 2: frumenti, Liv. 4, 25. — Absol. : neque enim est umquam penuria parvi, he is never in want who requires but little , Lucr. 5, 1119: penuriam temporum sustinere, to supply their temporary wants , Col. 9, 14, 17: in penuriā, in time of scarcity , Plin. 18, 13, 34, § 130: afflixit te penuriā, Vulg. Deut. 8, 3; 28, 48.—Of want of other things: civium, Ter. Ad. 442: magna sapientium civium bonorumque penuria, Cic. Brut. 1, 2: cujus generis (amicorum) est magna penuria, id. Lael. 17, 62: liberorum, Sall. J. 22, 2: mulierum, Liv. 1, 9: agri, vectigalium, pecuniae, Cic. Inv. 2, 39, 115: argenti, Liv. 23, 21: arborum, Col. 7, 9, 7.—
II Trop.: consilii, Plin. 8, 6, 6, § 17: vivae vocis, Gell. 14, 2, 1.