v.
- have a desire to possess or do (something); wish for.
▸wish to speak to (someone).
▸
(be wanted)
(of a suspected criminal) be sought by the police for questioning.
▸desire (someone) sexually.
- informal, chiefly Brit. (of a thing) require to be attended to:
the wheel wants greasing.
▸should or need to do something.
-
(often want for)
literary lack or be short of something desirable or essential.
n.
- lack or deficiency.
▸poverty.
- a desire.
Derivative
Etymology
ME: the noun from ON vant, neut. of vanr ‘lacking’; the verb from ON vanta ‘be lacking’.