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American Dictionary of the English Language

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Spare


SPARE, verb transitive [It seems to be from the same root as Latin parco.]

1. To use frugally; not to be profuse; not to waste. Thou thy Father's thunder did'st not spare/

2. To save or withhold from any particular use or occupation. He has no bread to spare that is, to withhold from his necessary uses. All the time he could spare from the necessary cares of his weighty charge, he bestowed on prayer and serving of God.

3. To part with without much inconvenience; to do without. I could have better spar'd a better man. Nor can we spare you long-

4. To omit; to forbear. We might have spared this toil and expense; Be pleas'd your politics to spare

5. To use tenderly; to treat with pity and forbearance; to forbear to afflict, punish or destroy. spare us, good Lord. dim sadness did not spare celestial visages. But man alone can whom be conquers spare

6. Not to take when in one's power; to forbear to destroy; as, to spare the life of a prisoner.

7. To grant; to allow; to indulge. Where anger Jove did never spare one breath of kind and temp'rate air.

8. TO forbear to inflict of impose. spare my sight the pain of seeing what a world of tears it cost you.

SPARE, verb intransitive

1. TO live frugally; to be parsimonious. Who at some times spend, as other spare divided between carelessness and care.

2. To forbear; to be scrupulous. To pluck and cat my fill I spar'd not.

3. To be frugal; not to be profuse.

4. To use mercy or forbearance; to forgive to be tender. The king was sparing and compassionate towards hid subjects.

SPARE, adjective

1. Seanty; parsimonious; not abundant; as a spare diet. He was spare but discreet of speech. [We more generally use, in the latter application, sparing; as, he was sparing of words.]

2. That can be dispensed with; not wanted; superfluous. I have no spare time on my hands. If that no spare clothes he had to give.

3. Lean; wanting flesh; meager; thin. O give me your spare men and spare me the great ones.

4. Slow. [Not in use.]

SPARE, noun Parsimony; frugal use. [Not in use.]