Meagre Meaning
/ˈmiːɡɚ/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounAn edible fish, of species Argyrosomus regius, of the family Sciaenidae, found from the Black Sea to the eastern Atlantic.
adjHaving little flesh; lean; thin.
Sentence Examples
He lived in a rather meagre house.
Despite her meagre salary, she works very hard.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The charity gave a ____ amount of food, barely enough for one person.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The company's ____ profits this year meant that there would be no bonuses for the employees.
Word Origin & History
From Middle French maigre.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"It is striking that these represent meagres (Argyrosomus regius), a species never mentioned in classical texts."
— 2008, Arturo Morales-Muñes, Eufrasia Roselló-Izquierdo, “11: Twenty Thousand Years of Fishing in the Strait”, in Torben C. Rick, Jon M. Erlandson, editors, Human Impacts on Ancient Marine Ecosystems: A Global Perspective, page 261:
"Meagres (Argyrosomus regius, 230 cm, 103 kg) have been raised mainly in Spain, France and Italy."
— 2011, John S. Lucas, Paul C. Southgate, Aquaculture: Farming Aquatic Animals and Plants, unnumbered page:
"[…]meagre were his looks; / Sharp misery had worn him to the bones:"
— c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
"His education had been but meagre."
— 1871, John Lothrop Motley, The Rise of the Dutch Republic: A History, volume 1, page 144:
"It is hardly surprising, therefore, that the present rail passenger service is meagre and between Wetherby and Church Fenton almost non-existent."
— 1961 February, D. Bertram, “The lines to Wetherby and their traffic”, in Trains Illustrated, page 103:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The charity gave a ____ amount of food, barely enough for one person.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The company's ____ profits this year meant that there would be no bonuses for the employees.