- spare
-
v.t.1. to refrain from harming or destroying; leave uninjured; forbear to punish, hurt, or destroy: to spare one's enemy.2. to deal gently or leniently with; show consideration for: His harsh criticism spared no one.3. to save from strain, discomfort, embarrassment, or the like, or from a particular cause of it: to spare him the bother; to spare her needless embarrassment.4. to refrain from, forbear, omit, or withhold, as action or speech: Spare us the gory details.5. to refrain from employing, as some instrument or recourse: to spare the rod.6. to set aside for a particular purpose: to spare land for a garden.7. to give or lend, as from a supply, esp. without inconvenience or loss: Can you spare a cup of sugar? Can you spare me a dollar till payday?8. to dispense with or do without: We can't spare a single worker during the rush hour.9. to use economically or frugally; refrain from using up or wasting: A walnut sundae, and don't spare the whipped cream!10. to have remaining as excess or surplus: We can make the curtains and have a yard to spare.v.i.11. to use economy; be frugal.12. to refrain from inflicting injury or punishment; exercise lenience or mercy.13. Obs. to refrain from action; forbear.adj.14. kept in reserve, as for possible use: a spare part.15. being in excess of present need; free for other use: spare time.16. frugally restricted or meager, as a manner of living or a diet: a spare regime.17. lean or thin, as a person.18. scanty or scant, as in amount or fullness.19. sparing, economical, or temperate, as persons.n.20. a spare thing, part, etc., as an extra tire for emergency use.21. Ceram. an area at the top of a plaster mold for holding excess slip.22. Bowling.a. the knocking down of all the pins with two bowls.[bef. 900; (v.) ME sparen, OE sparian; c. D, G sparen, ON spara; (n. and adj.) ME; cf. OE spaer sparing, frugal (c. OHG spar, ON sparr]
* * *
Universalium. 2010.
