Emily Dickinson Lexicon

WANT, v.t. [waunt.]

1. To be destitute; to be deficient in; not to have; a word of general application; as, to want knowledge; to want judgment; to want learning; to want food and clothing; to want money.
2. To be defective or deficient in. Timber may want strength or solidity to answer its purpose.
3. To fall short; not to contain or have. The sum wants a dollar of the amount of debt. Nor think, though men were none, / That heaven would want spectators, God want praise. – Milton.
4. To be without. The unhappy never want enemies. – Richardson.
5. To need; to have occasion for, as useful, proper or requisite. Our manners want correction. In winter we want a fire; in summer we want cooling breezes. We all want more public spirit and more virtue.
6. To wish for; to desire. Every man wants a little preeminence over his neighbor. Many want that which they can not obtain, and which if they could obtain, would certainly ruin them. What wants my son. – Addison.