shortage

Definition of Shortage in English :

the property of being an amount by which something is less than expected or required

Example Sentences:
'new blood vessels bud out from the already dilated vascular bed to make up the nutritional deficit'

2. dearth, famine, shortage

an acute insufficiency

WordNet Lexical Database for English. Princeton University. 2010.

Shortage

noun

a deficiency or lack in the amount needed, expected, or due; deficit

noun

a deficiency in the quantity or amount needed or expected, or the extent of this; deficit

n.

A deficiency in amount; an insufficiency.