Dictionary

1spare

verb \ˈsper\

: to choose not to punish or harm (someone)

: to not destroy or harm (something)

: to prevent (someone or something) from experiencing or being affected by something unpleasant, harmful, etc.

sparedspar·ing

Full Definition of SPARE

transitive verb
1
:  to forbear to destroy, punish, or harm
2
:  to refrain from attacking or reprimanding with necessary or salutary severity
3
:  to relieve of the necessity of doing or undergoing something <spare yourself the trouble>
4
:  to refrain from :  avoid <spared no expense>
5
:  to use or dispense frugally —used chiefly in the negative <don't spare the syrup>
6
a :  to give up as not strictly needed <do you have any cash to spare>
b :  to have left over or as margin <time to spare>
intransitive verb
1
:  to be frugal
2
:  to refrain from doing harm
spare·able \-ə-bəl\ adjective
spar·er noun
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Origin of SPARE

Middle English, from Old English sparian; akin to Old High German sparōn to spare, Old English spær, adjective, scant
First Known Use: before 12th century

2spare

adjective

: kept as something extra that can be used if it is needed

: available to be used in whatever way you want

: not needed by you and available to be shared or given to someone else

spar·erspar·est

Full Definition of SPARE

1
:  not being used; especially :  held for emergency use <a spare tire>
2
:  being over and above what is needed :  superfluous <spare time>
3
:  not liberal or profuse :  sparing <a spare prose style>
4
:  healthily lean
5
:  not abundant or plentiful
spare·ly adverb
spare·ness noun

Origin of SPARE

Middle English, from Old English spær sparing, scant; akin to Old High German spar spare
First Known Use: 14th century

Synonym Discussion of SPARE

lean, spare, lank, lanky, gaunt, rawboned, scrawny, skinny mean thin because of an absence of excess flesh. lean stresses lack of fat and of curving contours <a lean racehorse>. spare suggests leanness from abstemious living or constant exercise <the gymnast's spare figure>. lank implies tallness as well as leanness <the lank legs of the heron>. lanky suggests awkwardness and loose-jointedness as well as thinness <a lanky youth, all arms and legs>. gaunt implies marked thinness or emaciation as from overwork or suffering <a prisoner's gaunt face>. rawboned suggests a large ungainly build without implying undernourishment <a rawboned farmer>. scrawny and skinny imply an extreme leanness that suggests deficient strength and vitality <a scrawny chicken> <skinny street urchins>.

meager, scanty, scant, skimpy, spare, sparse mean falling short of what is normal, necessary, or desirable. meager implies the absence of elements, qualities, or numbers necessary to a thing's richness, substance, or potency <a meager portion of meat>. scanty stresses insufficiency in amount, quantity, or extent <supplies too scanty to last the winter>. scant suggests a falling short of what is desired or desirable rather than of what is essential <in January the daylight hours are scant>. skimpy usually suggests niggardliness or penury as the cause of the deficiency <tacky housing developments on skimpy lots>. spare may suggest a slight falling short of adequacy or merely an absence of superfluity <a spare, concise style of writing>. sparse implies a thin scattering of units <a sparse population>.

3spare

noun

: something extra that is kept to be used if it is needed

bowling : the achievement of knocking down all 10 pins with the first two balls

Full Definition of SPARE

1
a :  a spare tire
b :  a duplicate (as a key or a machine part) kept in reserve
2
:  the knocking down of all 10 pins with the first 2 balls in a frame in bowling

First Known Use of SPARE

1907

Other Automotive Terms

articulated, block, choke, clutch, diesel, neutral, transmission
SPARE Defined for Kids

1spare

verb \ˈsper\
sparedspar·ing

Definition of SPARE for Kids

1
:  to keep from being punished or harmed :  show mercy to <The king promised to spare the prisoner.>
2
:  to free from having to go through something difficult <This afternoon … he was spared any disagreeable scenes. — Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden>
3
:  to keep from using or spending <More pancakes, please, and don't spare the syrup.>
4
:  to give up especially as not really needed <Can you spare a few minutes?>
5
:  to have left over <I got there with time to spare.>

2spare

adjective
spar·erspar·est

Definition of SPARE for Kids

1
:  held in reserve (as for an emergency) <a spare tire>
2
:  being over what is needed <spare time>
3
:  somewhat thin <a spare figure>
4
:  scanty <a spare diet>

3spare

noun

Definition of SPARE for Kids

1
:  a replacement or duplicate piece or part
2
:  the knocking down of all ten bowling pins with the first two balls

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