lack

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)A deficiency or need (of something desirable or necessary); an absence, want, dearth.

   “[…] let his lack of years be no impediment to let him lack a reverend estimation;”

   “I went to a shrink, to analyze my dreams. He said it's lack of sex that's bringing me down.”

   “If Moldova harboured even the slightest hopes of pulling off a comeback that would have bordered on miraculous given their lack of quality, they were snuffed out 13 minutes before the break when Oxlade-Chamberlain picked his way through midfield before releasing Defoe for a finish that should have been dealt with more convincingly by Namasco at his near post.”

   “More flak was aimed at the Treasury's apparent lack of marketing skills, when it was argued that its idea of how to sell tickets was along the lines of "you can get two tickets for the price of two", and it lacks the sales and promotional skills of the train operating companies which are needed to boost revenue.”

2. (countable, obsolete, uncountable)A defect or failing; moral or spiritual degeneracy.

   “In the old days, to my commonplace and unobserving mind, he gave no evidences of genius whatsoever. He never read me any of his manuscripts, […], and therefore my lack of detection of his promise may in some degree be pardoned.”

3. (alt-of, archaic)Archaic form of lakh.

   “a lack of rupees”

verb

1. (stative, transitive)To be without, not to have, to need, to require.

   “My life lacks excitement.”

   “More flak was aimed at the Treasury's apparent lack of marketing skills, when it was argued that its idea of how to sell tickets was along the lines of "you can get two tickets for the price of two", and it lacks the sales and promotional skills of the train operating companies which are needed to boost revenue.”

2. (intransitive)To be short (of or for something).

   “He'll never lack for company while he's got all that money.”

   “Hamlet. What hour now? Horatio. I think it lacks of twelve.”

3. (intransitive, obsolete)To be in want.

   “The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger […]”

4. (obsolete)To see the deficiency in (someone or something); to find fault with, to malign, reproach.

   “That is Mede þe Mayde quod she · hath noyed me ful oft / And ylakked my lemman.”

5. To be off one's guard.

   “His opps caught him lacking.”