Spare
WordNet
adjective
(1) Lacking embellishment or ornamentation
"A plain hair style"
"Unembellished white walls"
"Functional architecture featuring stark unornamented concrete"
(2) Lacking in amplitude or quantity
"A bare livelihood"
"A scanty harvest"
"A spare diet"
(3) Thin and fit
"The spare figure of a marathon runner"
"A body kept trim by exercise"
(4) More than is needed, desired, or required
"Trying to lose excess weight"
"Found some extra change lying on the dresser"
"Yet another book on heraldry might be thought redundant"
"Skills made redundant by technological advance"
"Sleeping in the spare room"
"Supernumerary ornamentation"
"It was supererogatory of her to gloat"
"Delete superfluous (or unnecessary) words"
"Extra ribs as well as other supernumerary internal parts"
"Surplus cheese distributed to the needy"
(5) Kept in reserve especially for emergency use
"A reserve supply of food"
"A spare tire"
"Spare parts"
(6) Not taken up by scheduled activities
"A free hour between classes"
"Spare time on my hands"
noun
(7) A score in tenpins; knocking down all ten after rolling two balls
(8) An extra car wheel and tire for a four-wheel vehicle
(9) An extra component of a machine or other apparatus
verb
(10) Use frugally or carefully
(11) Give up what is not strictly needed
"He asked if they could spare one of their horses to speed his journey"
(12) Refrain from harming
(13) Save or relieve from an experience or action
"I'll spare you from having to apologize formally"
WiktionaryText
Adjective
- scanty; not abundant or plentiful.
- a spare diet
- sparing; frugal; parsimonious; chary.
- Being over and above what is necessary, or what must be used or reserved; not wanted, or not used; superfluous.
- I have no spare time.
- Held in reserve, to be used in an emergency; as, a spare anchor; a spare bed or room.
- lean; wanting flesh; meager; thin; gaunt.
- slow
Noun
- The act of sparing; moderation; restraint.
- Parsimony; frugal use.
- An opening in a petticoat or gown; a placket.
- That which has not been used or expended.
- A spare part, especially a spare tire.
- 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.
- The act of knocking down all remaining pins in second ball of a frame; this entitles the pins knocked down on the next ball to be added to the score for that frame.
Verb
- To be frugal; not to be profuse; to live frugally; to be parsimonious.
- To refrain from inflicting harm; to use mercy or forbearance.
- 1883: Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island
- Kill me, if you please, or spare me.
- 1883: Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island
- To desist; to stop; to refrain.
- To keep to one's self; to forbear to impart or give.
- To preserve from danger or punishment; to forbear to punish, injure, or harm; to show mercy to.
- To save or gain, as by frugality; to reserve, as from some occupation, use, or duty.
- To deprive one's self of, as by being frugal; to do without; to dispense with; to give up; to part with.
Verb
spare