lacking

Everyday

1. Lacking means not having something you need, or not having enough of it. tree →
2. Lacking in something means having too little of it: lacking in sleep. tree →

In the lessons

In maths: tells a shortage: how many are missing to reach a whole set or a goal: lacking = needed − have, have = needed − lacking. In science: plants lacking water wilt; a diet lacking vitamins makes people ill. Phrases: lacking in, be lacking, sadly lacking.

Examples

• The set is lacking 3 cards. tree →
• She was lacking $5 to buy the toy. tree →
• The puzzle is lacking 12 pieces out of 100. tree →
• They were lacking 2 players for a team of 11. tree →
• The plant was lacking water, so its leaves drooped. tree →
• The story was lacking an ending. tree →
• He felt tired because he was lacking sleep. tree →
• Nothing was lacking for the picnic. tree →
• Only thy coat is lacking before I keep my word. tree →

Note

«Lacking» comes from «lack». Marks what is missing: lacking = needed − have, or have = needed − lacking. Trap: «lacking 5» means you need 5 more, not that 5 are left.

In Jewish tradition

In the offering law, salt must not be lacking, because salt is a sign of the lasting covenant with God. In the prophets and histories it means missing or absent, as when truth is lacking, one tribe is missing, or Solomon's table had nothing missing.

Interpretation. Tradition keeps this by putting salt on offerings and by dipping the Sabbath bread in salt at the table, which is like an altar. Isaiah's "truth is lacking" is read as a sign of a society that has lost honesty, and the Judges story as the people's grief that a whole tribe might disappear from Israel.

Examples

• And every meal-offering of thine shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meal-offering; with all thy offerings thou shalt offer salt. (Torah LEV.2.13, JPS 1917) tree →
• And truth is lacking, and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey. (Prophets ISA.59.15, JPS 1917) tree →
• And they said: 'O LORD, the God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to-day one tribe lacking in Israel?' (Prophets JDG.21.3, JPS 1917) tree →
• And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that came unto king Solomon's table, every man in his month; they let nothing be lacking. (Prophets 1KI.5.7, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

«Lacking» comes from «lack». Marks what is missing: lacking = needed − have, or have = needed − lacking. Trap: «lacking 5» means you need 5 more, not that 5 are left.