Meaning of spare in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Verb
    1. Definitions
  3. Classifying Adjective
    1. Definitions
  4. Noun
    1. Definitions

  1. Pronunciation

    /spɛr/

    US accent Play button

    UK accent

  1. Verb

    spare

    Definitions

    1. refrain from harming

    Derived terms

  2. 2. save or relieve from an experience or action

    Examples

    • « I'll spare you from having to apologize formally »
  3. 3. give up what is not strictly needed

    Examples

    • « he asked if they could spare one of their horses to speed his journey »
  4. 4. use frugally or carefully

  5. Classifying Adjective

    spare

    Definitions

    1. thin and fit

    Examples

    • « the spare figure of a marathon runner »
    • « a body kept trim by exercise »

    Synonyms

  6. 2. more than is needed, desired, or required

    Examples

    • « 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 »

    Synonyms

  7. 3. just sufficient

    Examples

    • « the library had a spare but efficient look »

    Synonyms

  8. 4. not taken up by scheduled activities

    Examples

    • « a free hour between classes »
    • « spare time on my hands »

    Synonyms

  9. 5. kept in reserve especially for emergency use

    Examples

    • « a reserve supply of food »
    • « a spare tire »
    • « spare parts »

    Synonyms

  10. 6. lacking in amplitude or quantity

    Examples

    • « a bare livelihood »
    • « a scanty harvest »
    • « a spare diet »

    Synonyms

  11. Noun

    spare

    Definitions

    1. an extra component of a machine or other apparatus
  12. 2. an extra car wheel and tire for a four-wheel vehicle
  13. 3. a score in tenpins

    Examples

    • « knocking down all ten after rolling two balls »

Famous quotes

  • « Service is the rent we pay for being. It is the very purpose of life, and not something you do in your spare time. »
    Marian Wright Edelman
  • « Americans chose a free enterprise system designed to provide a quality of opportunity, not compel a quality of results. And that is why this is only place in the world where you can open up a business in the spare bedroom of your home. »
    Marco Rubio
  • « In the same way that we need statesmen to spare us the abjection of exercising power, we need scholars to spare us the abjection of learning. »
    Jean Baudrillard
  • « I had a friend whose family had dinner together. The mother would tuck you in at night and make breakfast in the morning. They even had a spare bike for a friend. It just seemed so amazing to me. »
    Moon Unit Zappa
  • « Time is like money, the less we have of it to spare the further we make it go. »
    Josh Billings

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