What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Dearth vs Depth - What's the difference?

dearth | depth |

As nouns the difference between dearth and depth

is that dearth is a period or condition when food is rare and hence expensive; famine while depth is the vertical distance below a surface; the degree to which something is deep.

dearth

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • (rfc-sense) A period or condition when food is rare and hence expensive; famine.
  • (by extension) Scarcity; a lack or short supply.
  • * 1608 , William Shakespeare, King Lear :
    • I promise you, the effects he writes of succeed unhappily: as of unnaturalness between the child and the parent; death, dearth , dissolutions of ancient amities; divisions in state, menaces and maledictions against king and nobles; needless diffidences, banishment of friends, dissipation of cohorts, nuptial breaches, and I know not what.
  • *
  • (obsolete) Dearness; the quality of being rare or costly.
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *

    • Synonyms

    * (period when food is rare) famine, shortage * (scarcity) paucity, scarcity

    Anagrams

    * * *

    depth

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The vertical distance below a surface; the degree to which something is deep.
    • Measure the depth of the water in this part of the bay.
  • The distance between the front and the back, as the depth of a drawer or closet.
  • (figuratively) The intensity, complexity, strength, seriousness or importance of an emotion, situation, etc.
    • The depth of her misery was apparent to everyone.
    The depth of the crisis had been exaggerated.
    We were impressed by the depth of her knowledge.
  • Lowness.
    • the depth of a sound
  • (computing, colors) The total palette of available colors.
  • (arts, photography) The property of appearing three-dimensional.
    • The depth of field in this picture is amazing.
  • (literary, usually plural) The deepest part. (Usually of a body of water.)
    • The burning ship finally sunk into the depths .
  • (literary, usually plural) A very remote part.
    • Into the depths of the jungle...
    In the depths of the night,
  • The most severe part.
    • in the depth of the crisis
    in the depths of winter
  • (logic) The number of simple elements which an abstract conception or notion includes; the comprehension or content.
  • (horology) A pair of toothed wheels which work together.
  • (statistics) The lower of the two ranks of a value in an ordered set of values.
    • {{examples-right, width=40%, sense=statistics, examples=
    Ordered Batch of 9 Values
    Value153245484956697797
    Depth 123454321
    }}

    Synonyms

    * deepness

    Related terms

    * deep * depth charge * in depth * out of one's depth