Emily Dickinson Lexicon

FAM'ISH, v.t. [Fr. affamer, from faim, hunger, L. fames, It. affamire, affamare; Sp. hambrear.]

1. To starve; to kill or destroy with hunger. Shak.
2. To exhaust the strength of, by hunger or thirst; to distress with hunger. The pains of famished Tantalus he'll feel. Dryden.
3. To kill by deprivation or denial of any thing necessary for life. Milton.