deficit good

English

Etymology

Calque of Russian дефици́тный това́р (deficítnyj továr, “scarce commodity”, literally “deficit good”).

Noun

deficit good (plural deficit goods)

1. (historical, chiefly in the plural) A commodity which was chronically difficult for citizens of the Soviet Union to obtain; particularly one which was considered a necessity or only a very basic luxury in the West, such as toilet paper or a car.