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Webster's Dictionary (1865)

4 entries under this word

Spare

Spāre, v. t.

verbtransitive

(4), v. t. [imp. & p. p. SPARED; p. pr. & vb. n. SPARING.] [A-S. sparian, O. H. Ger. sparen, sparen, N. H. Ger. & D. sparen, Icel. & Sw. spara, Dan. spare. See SPARE, a.] 1. To hold as scarce or valuable; to retain as precious; to use frugally; to dispense cautiously; to save. Thou thy Father's thunder didst not spare. Milton. 2. To part with reluctantly; to suffer to go; to allow to be taken away; to give up; to grant. Where angry Jove did never spare One breath of kind and temperate air. Roscommon. 3. To do without; to dispense with; to be deprived of. I could have better spared a better man. Shak. Nor can we spare you long. Dryden. 4. To omit; to forbear. Be pleased your politics to spare. Dryden. 5. To save from danger or punishment; to forbear to inflict or harm; hence, to treat tenderly. Spare us, good Lord. Com. Prayer. Dim sadness did not spare Celestial visages. Milton. Man alone can whom he conquers spare. Waller. 6. To withhold from. Spare my sight the pain Of seeing what a world of tears it cost you. Dryden. 7. To save or gain, as from some engrossing occupation or pressing necessity. All the time he could spare from the necessary cares of his weighty charge, he bestowed on prayer and serving of God. Knolles.

Spāre, v. i.

verbintransitive

v. i. 1. To be frugal; not to be profuse.

Sense 2. To live frugally; to be parsimonious.

Who at some times spend, at others spare, Divided between carelessness and care. Pope.

Sense 3. To forbear; to be scrupulous.

To pluck and eat my fill I spared not. Milton.

Sense 4. To use mercy or forbearance; to forgive; to be tender.

The king... was sparing and compassionate toward his subjects. Bacon.

Spāre, a.

adjective

a. [compar. SPARER; superl. SPAREST;— not used in all the senses of the word.] [A-S. spār, Prov. Ger. sper, spör.]

  1. Scanty; not abundant or plentiful; as, a spare diet.
  2. Parsimonious; chary; sparing.

He was spare, but discreet of speech. Carew.

  1. Over and above what is necessary, or which may be dispensed with; not wanted, or not used; superfluous; as, I have no spare time. “If that no spare clothes he had to give.” Spenser.
  2. Held in reserve, to be used in an emergency; as, a spare anchor.
  3. Lean; wanting flesh; meager; thin.

O, give me your spare men, and spare me the great ones. Shak. 6. Slow. [Obs. or local.] Grose. Syn.—Scanty; parsimonious; superfluous; lean; meager; thin.

Spāre, n.

noun

n. 1. Parsimony; frugal use. [Obs.] Bacon. 2. An opening in a petticoat or similar garment; a placket. [Obs.] 3. The act of sparing; moderation. [Obs.] “Killing for sacrifice, without any spare.” Holland. 4. That which is spare, or over and above; especially, an extra rolling of the ball in the game of tenpins, or one gained by knocking down all the pins with two balls.