5 entries under this word
[imp. & p. p. SCANTED; p. pr. & vb. n. SCANTING. [From the adjective.] 1. To limit; to straiten; to treat illiberally; as, to scant one in provisions; to scant ourselves in the use of necessaries. I am scanted in the pleasure of dwelling on your actions. Dryden. 2. To cut short; to make small, narrow, or scanty. “Scant not my cups.” Shak.
v. i. To fail, or become less; as, the wind scants.
a. [compar. SCANTER; superl. SCANTEST. Rare.] [A-S. scæned, scēned, p. p. of scænan, scēnan, to break, wound, destroy, Icel. skeina, to wound slightly. Cf. L. Lat. scantellatus, mutilated, shortened.]
Sense 1. Not full, large, or plentiful; scarcely sufficient; less than is wanted for the purpose; scanty; not enough; as, a scant allowance of provisions or water; a scant pattern of cloth for a garment.
His sermon was scant, in all, a quarter of an hour. Ridley.
Sense 2. Sparing; parsimonious; giving cautiously; chary. [Obs.]
Be somewhat scanter of your maiden presence. Shak.
In a scant manner; with difficulty; scarcely; hardly; not quite. [Obs.] “So weak that he was scant able to go down the stairs.” Fuller.
n. The state of being scant or scanty; scantiness; scarcity.