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   spare

   /spɛː/

   adjective

   • 1. additional to what is required for ordinary use: "few people had spare cash for inessentials" Similar extrasupplementaryadditionalsecondanotheralternativeemergencyreservebackuprelieffallbacksubstitutefreshauxiliaryancillaryalternatesurplussurplus to requirementssuperfluoustoo much/manysupernumeraryexcessivein excessgoing beggingredundantnot requiredunnecessaryinessentialunessentialneedlessunneededuncalled fordispensabledisposableexpendableunwanteduselessde tropOpposite principalusefulrequired
   • ▪ not currently in use or occupied: "a spare seat"
   • ▪ (of time) not taken up by one's usual duties or activities; available for leisure: "he tried to write poetry in his spare time" Similar freeleisureunoccupiedownOpposite occupied
   • 2. with no excess fat; thin: "a spare, bearded figure" Similar slenderleanwillowysylphlikesveltelissomgracefulsnake-hippedrangyclean-limbedtrimslightslightly builtwithout an ounce of fatthinas thin as a reedskinnysize-zerogauntattenuatedlankyspindlyinformal:skin and bonerare:gracileattenuateOpposite fat
   • 3. elegantly simple: "her clothes are smart and spare in style"

   noun

   • 1. an item kept in case another item of the same type is lost, broken, or worn out: "with three to choose from, your child will never be without a spare"
   • 2. (in tenpin bowling) an act of knocking down all the pins with two balls.

   verb

   • 1. give (something of which one has enough) to (someone): "she asked if I could spare her a bob or two" Similar afforddo withoutmanage withoutget along withoutdispense withpart withgivelet someone haveprovide
   • ▪ make free or available: "I'm sure you can spare me a moment"
   • 2. refrain from killing, injuring, or distressing: "there was no way the men would spare her" Similar not harmleave uninjuredleave unhurtbe merciful toshow mercy tohave mercy onbe lenient todeal leniently withhave pity onpardongrant a pardon toexcuseleave unpunishedforgivereprievereleasefreelet offamnestyinformal:go easy on
   • ▪ refrain from inflicting (something unpleasant) on (someone): "the country had until now been spared the violence occurring elsewhere"
   • ▪ try to ensure or satisfy one's own comfort or needs: "in her concern to help others, she has never spared herself"
   • 3. be frugal: archaic "but some will spend, and some will spare"

   Word Origin Old Englishspær ‘not plentiful, meagre’, sparian ‘refrain from injuring’, ‘refrain from using’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German sparen ‘to spare’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. sparely adverb
   • 2. spareness noun

   Scrabble Points: 7

   • S

     1

   • P

     3

   • A

     1

   • R

     1

   • E

     1

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