SPARING
economical, frugal, scotch, sparing, stinting
(adjective) avoiding waste; âan economical mealâ; âan economical shopperâ; âa frugal farmerâ; âa frugal lunchâ; âa sparing father and a spending sonâ; âsparing in their use of heat and lightâ; âstinting in bestowing giftsâ; âthrifty because they remember the great Depressionâ; ââscotchâ is used only informallyâ
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Adjective
sparing (comparative more sparing, superlative most sparing)
Prudent and restrained in the use of resources; careful, economical or frugal.
Synonyms
• See also frugal
Verb
sparing
present participle of spare
Noun
sparing (plural sparings)
The act by which something or someone is spared.
Anagrams
• gnisrap, parings, parsing, rapings, rasping
Source: Wiktionary
Spar"ing, a.
Definition: Spare; saving; frugal; merciful. Bacon.
– Spar"ing*ly, adv.
– Spar"ing*ness, n.
SPARE
Spare, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spared; p. pr. & vb. n.n Sparing.] Etym:
[AS. sparian, fr. spĂŠr spare, sparing, saving; akin to D. & G.
sparen, OHG. spar, 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 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, 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, a. [Compar. Sparer; superl. Sparest; -- not used in all the
senses of the word.] Etym: [AS. spĂŠr 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, 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)
Definition: 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.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition