spare definition | Dictionary.com

spare

[spair]

,verb, spared, spar⋅ing, adjective, spar⋅er, spar⋅est, noun

–verb (used with object)

1.	to refrain from harming or destroying; leave uninjured; forbear to punish, hurt, or destroy: to spare one's enemy.

2.	to deal gently or leniently with; show consideration for: His harsh criticism spared no one.

3.	to save from strain, discomfort, embarrassment, or the like, or from a particular cause of it: to spare him the bother; to spare her needless embarrassment.

4.	to refrain from, forbear, omit, or withhold, as action or speech: Spare us the gory details.

5.	to refrain from employing, as some instrument or recourse: to spare the rod.

6.	to set aside for a particular purpose: to spare land for a garden.

7.	to give or lend, as from a supply, esp. without inconvenience or loss: Can you spare a cup of sugar? Can you spare me a dollar till payday?

8.	to dispense with or do without: We can't spare a single worker during the rush hour.

9.	to use economically or frugally; refrain from using up or wasting: A walnut sundae, and don't spare the whipped cream!

10.	to have remaining as excess or surplus: We can make the curtains and have a yard to spare.

–verb (used without object)

11.	to use economy; be frugal.

12.	to refrain from inflicting injury or punishment; exercise lenience or mercy.

13.	Obsolete. to refrain from action; forbear.

–adjective

14.	kept in reserve, as for possible use: a spare part.

15.	being in excess of present need; free for other use: spare time.

16.	frugally restricted or meager, as a manner of living or a diet: a spare regime.

17.	lean or thin, as a person.

18.	scanty or scant, as in amount or fullness.

19.	sparing, economical, or temperate, as persons.

–noun

20.	a spare thing, part, etc., as an extra tire for emergency use.

21.	Ceramics. an area at the top of a plaster mold for holding excess slip.

22.

Bowling.

a.	the knocking down of all the pins with two bowls.

b.	a score so made. Compare strike (def. 69).

Origin:
bef. 900; (v.) ME sparen, OE sparian; c. D, G sparen, ON spara; (n. and adj.) ME; cf. OE spær sparing, frugal (c. OHG spar, ON sparr

Related forms:

spare⋅a⋅ble, adjective

sparely, adverb

spareness, noun

sparer, noun

Synonyms:
6. reserve. 14, 15. extra. 17. See thin.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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spare (spâr)

v. spared, spar·ing, spares

v. tr.

To refrain from treating harshly; treat mercifully or leniently.
To refrain from harming or destroying.
To save or relieve from experiencing or doing (something): spared herself the trouble of going.
To hold back from; withhold or avoid: spared no expense for the celebration.
To use with restraint: Don't spare the mustard.
To give or grant out of one's resources; afford: Can you spare ten minutes?

v. intr.

To be frugal.
To refrain from inflicting harm; be merciful or lenient.

adj. spar·er, spar·est

1. Kept in reserve: a spare part; a spare pair of sneakers.
2. Being in excess of what is needed; extra. See Synonyms at superfluous.
3. Free for other use; unoccupied: spare time.
4. Not lavish, abundant, or excessive: a spare diet.
5. Lean and trim. See Synonyms at lean².
1. Not lavish, abundant, or excessive: a spare diet.
2. Lean and trim. See Synonyms at lean².
Not profuse or copious.

A replacement, especially a tire, reserved for future need.
Sports
1. The act of knocking down all ten pins with two successive rolls of a bowling ball.
2. The score so made.

[Middle English sparen, from Old English sparian.]
spare'ly adv., spare'ness n., spar'er n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Spare

Spare\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spared; p. pr. & vb. n. Sparing.] [AS. sparian, fr. sp[ae]r spare, sparing, saving; akin to D. & G. sparen, OHG. spar?n, Icel. & Sw. spara, Dan. spare See Spare, a.]

1. To use frugally or stintingly, as that which is scarce or valuable; to retain or keep unused; to save. "No cost would he spare." --Chaucer.

[Thou] thy Father's dreadful thunder didst not spare. --Milton.

He that hath knowledge, spareth his words. --Prov. xvii. 27.

2. To keep to one's self; to forbear to impart or give.

Be pleased your plitics to spare. --Dryden.

Spare my sight the pain Of seeing what a world of tears it costs you. --Dryden.

3. To preserve from danger or punishment; to forbear to punish, injure, or harm; to show mercy to.

Spare us, good Lord. --Book of Common Prayer.

Dim sadness did not spare That time celestial visages. --Milton.

Man alone can whom he conquers spare. --Waller.

4. To save or gain, as by frugality; to reserve, as from some occupation, use, or duty.

All the time he could spare from the necessary cares of his weighty charge, he ?estowed on . . . serving of God. --Knolles.

5. To deprive one's self of, as by being frugal; to do without; to dispense with; to give up; to part with.

Where angry Jove did never spare One breath of kind and temperate air. --Roscommon.

I could have better spared a better man. --Shak.

To spare one's self. (a) To act with reserve. [Obs.]

Her thought that a lady should her spare. --Chaucer. (b) To save one's self labor, punishment, or blame.

Spare

Spare\, v. i. 1. To be frugal; not to be profuse; to live frugally; to be parsimonious.

I, who at some times spend, at others spare, Divided between carelessness and care. --Pope.

2. To refrain from inflicting harm; to use mercy or forbearance.

He will not spare in the day of vengeance. --Prov. vi. 34.

3. To desist; to stop; to refrain. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

Spare

Spare\, a. [Compar. Sparer; superl. Sparest; -- not used in all the senses of the word.] [AS. sp[ae]r sparing. Cf. Spare, v. t. ]

1. Scanty; not abundant or plentiful; as, a spare diet.

2. Sparing; frugal; parsimonious; chary.

He was spare, but discreet of speech. --Carew.

3. Being over and above what is necessary, or what must be used or reserved; not wanted, or not used; superfluous; as, I have no spare time.

If that no spare clothes he had to give. --Spenser.

4. Held in reserve, to be used in an emergency; as, a spare anchor; a spare bed or room.

5. Lean; wanting flesh; meager; thin; gaunt.

O, give me the spare men, and spare me the great ones. --Shak.

6. Slow. [Obs. or prov. Eng.] --Grose.

Spare

Spare\, n. 1. The act of sparing; moderation; restraint. [Obs.]

Killing for sacrifice, without any spare. --Holland.

2. Parsimony; frugal use. [Obs.] --Bacon.

Poured out their plenty without spite or spare. --Spenser.

3. An opening in a petticoat or gown; a placket. [Obs.]

4. That which has not been used or expended.

5. (Tenpins) The right of bowling again at a full set of pins, after having knocked all the pins down in less than three bowls. If all the pins are knocked down in one bowl it is a double spare; in two bowls, a single spare.

Language Translation for : spare

Spanish: prescindir, pasar sin,

German: verschonen,

Japanese: ～なしですませる

More Translations »

spare (v.)

O.E. sparian "to refrain from harming, to allow to go free," from the source of O.E. spær "sparing, frugal," from P.Gmc. *sparaz (cf. O.Fris. sparia, O.N. spara, O.H.G. sparon "to spare"). Meaning "to dispense from one's own stock" is recorded from c.1225. The adj. meaning "additional, extra" is attested from c.1300. In ref. to time, from 1610; sense of "flimsy, thin" is recorded from c.1548. Spare part is attested from 1888. The noun meaning "extra thing or part" is from 1642. Bowling sense of "a knocking down of all pins in two bowls" is attested from 1849, Amer.Eng.

spare

In addition to the idioms beginning with spare, also see to spare.

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