I'm not a native English-speaker and this word has always confused me.
I know what "want" as a verb means, but I really don't understand the word when it's used as a noun.
For example, in phrases like "freedom from want", or in Pink Floyd's song "Us and Them", when it goes "For want of the price of tea and a slice The old man died..."
I really don't undestand the meaning of want in those contexts, when it's used as a noun.
2006-11-30 06:06:42 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
"Freedom from want" = "Freedom from Need".
"For want of the price...." = "For Lack of..."
When the word "want" replaces the words "lack", "need" and "desire" it becomes the name of these things, hence a noun.
Try "Want not, waste not."
"Want of money is the root cause of all Evil"
"For want of a nail, the shoe was lost! ......"
"Want for sex made Rasputin a frustrated man."
Hope that helped.
Merry Christmas!!
God Bless America!
2006-11-30 06:14:26 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
The main meaning of want as a noun is need or hardship. If you are in want, you are in need. You are short of vital requirements, such as money to buy a cup of tea and a slice of bread.
You might like this little rhyme which I learned from my father:
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
2006-11-30 06:34:36 · answer #2 · answered by Doethineb 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
to fulfill the two the asker and the people on right here: "potential" is a noun meaning "an company, tool, or technique used to prevail in an end." "Of transportation" is a prepositional word, describing the variety of noun, for this reason, the variety of potential. to apply it in a sentence, "Commuters in Boston many times use the subway as their potential of transportation to artwork."
2016-12-29 17:24:03 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
WANT as a noun means a lacking . Example: For want of the price of tea means " for not having the price of tea" or "for lacking the price of tea"
Freedom from want...means Freedom from lacking or not having.
Hope this clears it up for you.
Season's Greetings!
2006-11-30 06:17:10 · answer #4 · answered by Penny Mae 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
As a noun, it means "State of Lack", Deficiency; feel or to be in need of; fall short of.
2006-11-30 06:43:57 · answer #5 · answered by Shotsie 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your desire to have is your "want".
Examples:
verb "I want to be left alone."
noun " My want is to be left alone."
2006-11-30 06:17:14 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I've never heard of it as a noun, chances are, in your refferences, drugs were involed.
2006-11-30 06:10:02 · answer #7 · answered by pe l 1 · 0⤊ 3⤋
need or desire is what "want" is as a noun
2006-11-30 06:13:59 · answer #8 · answered by sbourque79 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
means desire...a desire for something lacking usually
2006-11-30 06:17:17 · answer #9 · answered by Angel Baby 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
desire/need to own, or simply desire
2006-11-30 06:10:40 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋