for want of
Due to missing
For want of means because of a lack of something: For want of a better term, let's call it a gadget.
The phrase appears in the proverb about cascading consequences: "For want of a nail, the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe, the horse was lost..." and so on until the kingdom falls.
The construction sounds formal or literary in modern speech.
- nailMetal fastener or keratin plate
- horseshoe nailPin securing hoof protection
- horseDomesticated riding animal
- lackingBeing without something
- shoeCovering for feet
without · absence · ripple effect · chain reaction · butterfly effect · deficiency · requiring · domino effect · need · key · foresight · penny wise · stitch in time · unintended consequences · negligence · proverb · scarcity · ache
possession/abundance
for want ofthanks to
Because of someone's contribution
owing to · by virtue of · because of · possessing · having