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sparse
7 dictionary results for: Sparse
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
sparse 
[spahrs] Pronunciation Key,
—Related forms
[spahrs] Pronunciation Key, –adjective, spars·er, spars·est.
| 1. | thinly scattered or distributed: a sparse population. |
| 2. | not thick or dense; thin: sparse hair. |
| 3. | scanty; meager. |
—Related forms
sparsely, adverb
—Antonyms 1–3. abundant.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
| sparse
(spärs) Pronunciation Key
adj. spars·er, spars·est Occurring, growing, or settled at widely spaced intervals; not thick or dense. [Latin sparsus, past participle of spargere, to scatter.] sparse'ly adv., sparse'ness, spar'si·ty (spär'sĭ-tē) n. |
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
sparse
sparse
1727, from L. sparsus "scattered," pp. of spargere "to scatter, spread," from PIE base *(s)pregh- "to jerk, scatter" (cf. Skt. parjanya- "rain, rain god," Avestan fra-sparega "branch, twig," lit. "that which is jerked off a tree," O.N. freknur "freckles," Swed. dial. sprygg "brisk, active," Lith. sprogti "shoot, bud," O.Ir. arg "a drop").
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
| sparse | |
adjective | |
| not dense; "a thin beard"; "trees were sparse" |
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
Free On-line Dictionary of Computing - Cite This Source - Share This
sparse
A sparse matrix (or vector, or array) is one in which most of the elements are zero. If storage space is more important than access speed, it may be preferable to store a sparse matrix as a list of (index, value) pairs or use some kind of hash scheme or associative memory.
(1995-01-16)
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Sparse
Sparse\, a. [Compar. Sparser; superl. Sparsest.] [L. sparsus, p. p. of spargere to strew, scatter. Cf. Asperse, Disperse.]1. Thinly scattered; set or planted here and there; not being dense or close together; as, a sparse population. --Carlyle. 2. (Bot.) Placed irregularly and distantly; scattered; -- applied to branches, leaves, peduncles, and the like.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Sparse
Sparse\, v. t. [L. sparsus, p. p. of spargere to scatter.] To scatter; to disperse. [Obs.] --Spenser.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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