scarce
Use Scarce in a sentence
adjective
1.
insufficient to satisfy the need or demand; not abundant: Meat and butter were scarce during the war.
2.
seldom met with; rare: a scarce book.
adverb
Idioms 3.
4.
make oneself scarce, Informal.
a.
to depart, especially suddenly.
b.
to stay away; avoid.
Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English scars < Old North French (e)scars < Vulgar Latin *excarpsus plucked out, for Latin excerptus; see excerpt
1250–1300; Middle English scars < Old North French (e)scars < Vulgar Latin *excarpsus plucked out, for Latin excerptus; see excerpt
Related forms
scarce·ness, noun
un·scarce, adjective
un·scarce·ly, adverb
un·scarce·ness, noun
Synonyms
1. deficient. 2. uncommon, infrequent.
1. deficient. 2. uncommon, infrequent.
Antonyms
1. abundant.
1. abundant.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To scarce
Collins
World English Dictionary
scarce (skɛəs) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | rarely encountered |
| 2. | insufficient to meet the demand |
| 3. | informal make oneself scarce to go away, esp suddenly |
| —adv | |
| 4. | archaic, literary or scarcely |
| [C13: from Old Norman French scars, from Vulgar Latin excarpsus (unattested) plucked out, from Latin excerpere to select; see | |
| 'scarceness | |
| —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
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Scarce
is always a great word to know.
So is ort. Does it mean:
| a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal. |
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
scarce
c.1300, "restricted in quantity," from O.N.Fr. scars (O.Fr. eschars) from V.L. *escarpsus, from *excarpere "pluck out," from L. excerpere "pluck out" (see excerpt). Phrase to make oneself scarce "go away" first attested 1809 in "Gil Blas." Related: Scarcely.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
scarce
In addition to the idiom beginning with scarce, also see make oneself scarce.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Example sentences from the web
We have no dictionary of our language, and scarce a tolerable grammar.
Supplies including food became scarce due to safety fears by the suppliers.
The fabrics they depended on grew scarce, and business slowed considerably.
For example, taurine is scarce in plants but abundant in meats.
Idioms & Phrases
Nearby Words
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