Emily Dickinson Lexicon

HUN'GER, n. [Sax. hunger, G. Dan. and Sw. hunger, D. honger, Goth. huhrus, hunger; Sax. hungrian, hingrian, Goth. huggryan, to hunger. It appears from the Gothic that n is not radical; the root then is Hg.]

1. An uneasy sensation occasioned by the want of food; a craving of food by the stomach; craving appetite. Hunger is not merely want of food, for persons when sick, may abstain long from eating without hunger or an appetite for food. Hunger therefore is the pain or uneasiness of the stomach of a healthy person, when too long destitute of food.
2. Any strong or eager desire. For hunger of my gold I die. Dryden.