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scant

[skant]

Example Sentences Origin

adjective

barely sufficient in amount or quantity; not abundant; almost inadequate: to do scant justice.

limited; meager; not large: a scant amount.

barely amounting to as much as indicated: a scant two hours; a scant cupful.

having an inadequate or limited supply (usually followed by of): scant of breath.

verb (used with object)

to make scant; diminish.

to stint the supply of; withhold.

to treat slightly or inadequately.

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Scant is one of our favorite verbs.

So is yaff. Does it mean:

to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle.

to bark; yelp.

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adverb

Scot. and North England Dialect. scarcely; barely; hardly.

Origin:
1325–75; Middle English (adj.) < Old Norse skamt, neuter of skammr short

Related forms

scant·ly, adverb

scant·ness, noun

Synonyms
2. scanty, small, restricted. 4. short, lacking, wanting, deficient. 5. lessen, reduce, decrease, curtail. 6. limit, restrict, skimp, scrimp. 7. slight, neglect.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To scant

Example Sentences

But in reality, creationism has made scant progress in the nation's thousands of school districts.

Yet, in stark contrast to other modern expansions, there are scant signs of serious wage or price pressure.

They postulate that there was an extended period of evolutionary progression that left behind a scant fossil record.

EXPAND

But in reality, creationism has made scant progress in the nation's thousands of school districts.

Yet, in stark contrast to other modern expansions, there are scant signs of serious wage or price pressure.

They postulate that there was an extended period of evolutionary progression that left behind a scant fossil record.

But there was scant evidence for how it was prepared and handled.

Best conditions are sun to light shade, well-drained soil, moderate to scant water in summer.

But scant few transcend such barriers to become works of art.

It was scant consolation that the struggle wasn't real.

Innocent men were picked up on the basis of scant evidence and in many cases subjected to abuse and torture.

Until now, conservationists had scant data on where these non-breeding birds foraged.

In scant milliseconds, the brain coordinates our speech apparatus so that it makes all the appropriate sounds.

The fossil evidence has been too scant to settle the matter.

Even the scant good news in the report is tempered by a downside.

But the digital printers used commercially bear scant resemblance to the devices used at home.

But the fossil record of how dinosaurs went vegetarian, until now, was scant.

Unfortunately there is scant little research being done on the subject.

Networking gadgets tend to be ugly, bulky bastards with scant attention paid to aesthetics.

And there is scant evidence that what you say is true.

Not only are there scant signs of change from the repressive ruling junta.

Xeriscaping is the practice of landscaping with native plants in dry environments to conserve scant water resources.

Even still, the scant evidence that exists for pretend play in non-human apes is fairly consistent.

Many of these unique places have small staffs with scant funding, and it is a struggle for them to stay open.

Indian infrastructure in rural parts is pretty scant.

Vietnam has hesitantly dabbled in credit-guarantee funds in the past, primarily at the provincial level, with scant success.

Snowmelt from mountain peaks and scant summer rains feed the region's carefully maintained system of irrigation channels.

There is a lot of evidence for global warming, scant for fluoridation.

With such scant storage, all the expansion options are a huge plus.

Its scant natural resources and tradition of openness point the economy towards trade.

Such convincing evidence is scant in the biological record.

Those changes were wrought in a scant ten thousand years.

And for a plan that claims to be all but fully worked out, details are scant.

These plants can take advantage of the scant nutrients and moisture available in the sandy soils.

Then a paper is published with tantalizingly scant imagery.

Initially such presentation seemed to make scant difference to unionists.

Yet, with scant facilities, it has mostly remained off the tourist map.

With inflation still too high, cautious central bankers see scant reason for abandoning their hawkish rhetoric.

They've had scant attention from scientists, in part because they can be tough to find.

Even people with scant interest in the art recognise his name and his pictures.

Aside from looming coal silos and a few roads across the mesas, the underground mines make scant visible marks on the land.

But that is scant consolation to traders priced out of overseas markets.

But that is scant solace to those caught up in its death throes.

Until now, there has been scant evidence that local militant groups were co-operating with more sophisticated outsiders.

Stunning women in scant spring dresses mobbed the sunny boulevard.

We have fiscal problems enough here which he has shown scant ability to fix.

Hard work produces scant results in these heavily-fished waters.

Government forces, they say, have shown scant regard for civilians.

Grey, a scant four days after news of his appointment first surfaced.

You'll see a small sink, shelves once used to display food and drinks for sale, and scant remains of wall paintings.

But outside the real estate sector there is still scant evidence of long-term money being invested on the mainland.

It is her creativity that has helped us perform near miracles with scant resources.

But it will bring scant comfort to anyone hoping for a swift return to business as usual.

Artificial satellites fall into the atmosphere only because scant traces of outer atmosphere rob them of orbital energy.

Of course, that being said, only a scant few would ever see that money.

Teachers have had scant training and the students seem disappointed in how little they use the laptops.

In some districts, it was not unheard of to hire a biology teacher with scant science background.

Scant consolation, but it may make you feel a bit better.

The scant information that has emerged has appeared in local publications believed to have access to government.

But with the local media overwhelmed and the national media offering scant details about local.

There are toppings listed on a chalkboard, along with a scant menu of wines and beer.

Approximately three hundred gallons per acre with little or no tillage and scant fertilizer should make it a crime.

The design studios carry names that are familiar to anyone who has paid even scant attention to the automotive scene.

Since the law offers scant relief to those looking for such.

In spite of these rumblings, labor unions have so far had scant success in attracting high-tech temps.

Of the disproportionately scant public attention paid to ocean acidification, dissolving shellfish get the most.

Certain conservation measures are already in place to help protect the comparatively scant number of surviving eagles.

She found there was scant information about infant loss available online and start compiling resources.

But beyond the business cycle, another slowdown has received scant attention.

Side-mounted volume buttons offer scant tactile feedback.

Flanked by a glossy black bezel and measuring a scant six inches thick.

Optimists note that the housing slowdown has so far had scant impact on consumer spending.

Anatomical fossils have given scant confirmation about when our ancestors developed a fully modern gait.

He was sent on leave for a year with scant explanation.

It pays scant attention to employees and suppliers.

Politicians have tried to tackle this problem before, with scant results.

And for those convicted, the penalties are scant deterrent.

Greece's government must wisely spend what scant political capital it may have.

They will be the biggest victims if the talks cannot be revived, and there seems to be scant prospect of that.

Others use their ideological pedigrees to advocate a neo-Maoist approach, which includes scant regard for the law.

COLLAPSE

Collins

World English Dictionary

scant (skænt)

—*adj* (foll by of)
1.	scarcely sufficient; limited: he paid her scant attention
2.	(prenominal) slightly short of the amount indicated; bare: a scant ten inches
3.	having a short supply (of)

—vb
4.	to limit in size or quantity
5.	to provide with a limited or inadequate supply of
6.	to treat in a slighting or inadequate manner

—*adv*
7.	scarcely; barely

[C14: from Old Norse skamt, from skammr/short; related to Old High German scam]

'scantly

—*adv*

'scantness

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

scant

c.1350, from O.N. skamt, neut. of skammr "short, brief." from P.Gmc. *skamma- (cf. O.E. scamm "short," O.H.G. skemmen "to shorten"), perhaps ult. "hornless." Scanty is first recorded 1660.

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Matching Quote

"Where minds differ and opinions swerve there is scant a friend in that company."

-Elizabeth I

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