(a) To be in need, want for something; ?also, run out of something [1st quot.]; also, have a lack or deficiency (in or of sth.); ben wantinge, grow deficient in something; (b) to be without (sb. or sth.), lack; also in proverbs; (c) to be deprived of (sb. or sth.), lose; also, be rid of (sth.), empty oneself of [quot. 1435]; ~ wille, not to have (one’s way), be thwarted in (one’s) desire; also, be rendered joyless [quot. a1500(?c1450)]; (d) to lack (a specified piece of information), be ignorant of; (e) with inf.: to fail (to do sth.); (f) to be free (from sth.); (g) ppl. wantinge, ?deficient in restraint or morals, morally lacking [prob. error for wantoun adj.].

(a) To be lacking, be insufficient in quantity or quality, run short; fail; also, be missing, be absent; also in proverbs; ppl. wantinge as adj.: missing [quot. a1450 Earth(3)]; (b) to be lacking or wanting (to sb.), be unavailable; not be provided (for or to sb.); be withheld (from sb.); also [quot. c1450 Alph.Tales], ?be missing (with respect to sb.); ?have been lost (by sb.); (c) with preposed dative and inversion of subj. and verb, with transitive force: him (hire, etc.) wanteth, he (she, etc.) lacks (sth.); also, with inf. phrase as subj.: they fail (to do sth.) [quot. c1475(?c1400)]; (d) in misc. constructions, chiefly with preposed genitive phrase and inversion of subj. and verb: wanteth nought (muchel, non), etc., nothing (much, none) (of sth.) is lacking (to sb.); wanted him never on, he never lost one; shal ~ the nouther, you will lack neither (men nor gear).

Impers. (a) With preposed dative: the wanteth, ?you are found wanting in some respect, you fail in some way; us wanteth, we are deprived; also, with genitive phrase: him (hem) shal ~ of, he (they) will lack (sth.); (b) with hit or ther and inversion of logical subj. and verb: hit shal ~ to hem non, they will lack none; ther wanteth non of, there is no lack of (sth.).

(a) In phrase: ~ of, to be lacking from (a complete sum, quantity, or designated time); also, with that clause: be lacking (from the completion of a psychological condition) [1st quot.]; (b) to lack (a small amount of achieving the completion of a state), specif. be short (a hair’s breadth of being killed); of one number: be reduced by (another number) in the calculation of a required date [quot. a1500(c1400)]; also, impers., with clause as logical subj.: hit wanteth, a number of years is short (another number) of being completed.

In surname.