short-commons

[ shawrt-kom-uhnz ]

noun

, (used with a singular verb)

1. a scanty allowance of food.

Example Sentences

Meg looked worn and nervous, the babies absorbed every minute of her time, the house was neglected, and Kitty, the cook, who took life ‘aisy’, kept him on short commons.

From Literature

Already they were getting used to much walking on short commons — shorter at any rate than what in the Shire they would have thought barely enough to keep them on their legs.

From Literature

This was a fresh and a great misery—short commons bang on top of mutilated salaries,—almost more than one could bear.

From Project Gutenberg

Had we found no grain here we must have lost all the transport-animals, as these have already been on very short commons for some days.

From Project Gutenberg

We often had to complain of dishonesty amongst the hospital women servants, especially of the cook for petty thefts, such as eating the patients’ food, thus causing them to go on short commons, unless I was there to see that each one had his or her proper quantity.

From Project Gutenberg