scanty

scanty
—scantily, adv. —scantiness, n.
/skan"tee/, adj., scantier, scantiest. n., pl. scanties.
adj.
1. scant in amount, quantity, etc.; barely sufficient.
2. meager; not adequate.
3. lacking amplitude in extent or compass.
n.
4. scanties, very brief underpants, esp. for women.
[1650-60; SCANT + -Y1; (def. 4) b. scanty and PANTIES]
Syn. 1, 2. SCANTY, MEAGER, SPARSE refer to insufficiency or deficiency in quantity, number, etc. SCANTY denotes smallness or insufficiency of quantity, number, supply, etc.: a scanty supply of food. MEAGER indicates that something is poor, stinted, or inadequate: meager fare; a meager income. SPARSE applies particularly to that which grows thinly or is thinly strewn or sown, often over a wide area: sparse vegetation; a sparse population.
Ant. 1, 2. plentiful, ample.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Scanty — Scant y, a. [Compar. {Scantier}; superl. {Scantiest}.] [From {Scant}, a.] 1. Wanting amplitude or extent; narrow; small; not abundant. [1913 Webster] His dominions were very narrow and scanty. Locke. [1913 Webster] Now scantier limits the proud… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • scanty — index de minimus, deficient, imperfect, inappreciable, insufficient, marginal, minimal, negligible …   Law dictionary

  • scanty — (adj.) 1650s, from SCANT (Cf. scant) + Y (Cf. y) (2) …   Etymology dictionary

  • scanty — scant, skimpy, scrimpy, *meager, exiguous, spare, sparse Analogous words: *deficient Antonyms: ample, plentiful: profuse …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • scanty — ► ADJECTIVE (scantier, scantiest) ▪ small or insufficient in quantity or amount. DERIVATIVES scantily adverb …   English terms dictionary

  • scanty — [skan′tē] adj. scantier, scantiest [ SCANT + Y2] 1. barely sufficient; not ample; meager 2. insufficient; not enough 3. narrow; small; close SYN. MEAGER scantily adv. scantiness …   English World dictionary

  • scanty — scant, scanty Both words have meanings to do with smallness or insufficiency. Scant is of Norse origin and came into English as several parts of speech including noun and verb as well as adjective. In current use it is only an adjective and even… …   Modern English usage

  • scanty — [[t]skæ̱nti[/t]] scantier, scantiest 1) ADJ GRADED You describe something as scanty when there is less of it than you think there should be. So far, what scanty evidence we have points to two suspects. 2) ADJ GRADED If someone is wearing scanty… …   English dictionary

  • scanty — UK [ˈskæntɪ] / US adjective Word forms scanty : adjective scanty comparative scantier superlative scantiest 1) not much, and less than is needed We have only received scanty information so far. 2) scanty clothes show parts of your body that are… …   English dictionary

  • scanty — scant•y [[t]ˈskæn ti[/t]] adj. scant•i•er, scant•i•est, 1) insufficient in amount, extent, or degree 2) cvb clo scanties, very brief underpants, esp. for women • Etymology: 1650–60; scant (in obs. or dial. n. sense “dearth”) + y I; (def. 4)b.… …   From formal English to slang

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