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meagre

1. Destitue of, or having little, flesh; lean. Meager were his looks; sharp misery had worn him to the bones. (Shak)

2. Destitute of richness, fertility, strength, or the like; defective in quantity, or poor in quality; poor; barren; scanty in ideas; wanting strength of diction or affluence of imagery. Meager soil. Of secular habits and meager religious belief. (I. Taylor) His education had been but meager. (Motley)

3. (Science: chemical) dry and harsh to the touch, as chalk.

Synonym: thin, lean, lank, gaunt, starved, hungry, poor, emaciated, scanty, barren.

Origin: OE. Merge, F. Maigre, L. Macer; akin to D. & G. Mager, Icel. Magr, and prob. To Gr. Long. Cf. Emaciate, Maigre.

(Science: zoology) A large European sciaenoid fish (Sciaena umbra or S. Aquila), having white bloodless flesh. It is valued as a food fish.

Alternative forms: maigre.

Origin: F. Maigre.