spare

See also: Spare and spāre

English

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) enPR: spâr, IPA^(key): /ˈspɛə(ɹ)/
(General American) enPR: spâr, IPA^(key): /ˈspɛəɹ/
Audio (US) (file)
Rhymes: -ɛə(ɹ)

Etymology 1

From Middle English spare, spar, from Old English spær (“sparing, scant”), from Proto-Germanic *sparaz, from Proto-Indo-European *sph₁rós, from the root *speh₁-.

Compare Dutch spaar(zaam), German spar(sam) and spär(lich), Swedish spar(sam), Icelandic sparr (“sparing”); also Latin (pro)sperus (“lucky”), Old Church Slavonic споръ (sporŭ, “plentiful”), Albanian shperr (“earn money”), Persian ‎ (sepār, “entrust; deposit”), Ancient Greek σπαρνός (sparnós, “rare”), Sanskrit स्फिर (sphirá, “thick”).

Adjective

spare (comparative sparer, superlative sparest)

Scant; not abundant or plentiful.
a spare diet
- 2012 May 24, Nathan Rabin, “Film: Reviews: Men In Black 3”, in The Onion AV Club‎:
  Jones’ sad eyes betray a pervasive pain his purposefully spare dialogue only hints at, while the perfectly cast Brolin conveys hints of playfulness and warmth while staying true to the craggy stoicism at the character’s core.
Sparing; frugal; parsimonious; not spending much money.
- 1609, Richard Carew, The Survey of Cornwall. […], new edition, London: […] B. Law, […]; Penzance, Cornwall: J. Hewett, published 1769, OCLC 752813518:
  He was spare, […] but discreet of speech.
- 2009 April 12, Phil Patton, “At VW, the Italian Accent Gets Stronger”, in New York Times‎:
  Under Hartmut Warkuss, its design director until 2003, Volkswagen styling celebrated its Teutonic origins and the spare modernist tradition expressed in Braun radios and coffee makers, reference points for the neomodern simplicity of the iPod.
Being more than what is necessary, or what must be used or reserved; not wanted, or not used; superfluous.
I have no spare time.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, OCLC 960102938, stanza 39:
  if that no spare cloths he had to give
Held in reserve, to be used in an emergency.
a spare anchor; a spare wheel or tyre
Not occupied or in current use.
We could rent out the spare room.
- 2012, BioWare, Mass Effect 3, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, OCLC 962368035, PC, scene: Earth:
  Shepard: I take it this is your first time here?
  Wrex: Meant to tell you Shepard. Earth reminds me of home. Guess you'll be needing a new planet too. That's okay. Tuchanka's got room to spare and a guard dog named Kalros.
- 2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 68:
  As the 1857 to Manchester Piccadilly rolls in, I scan the windows and realise there are plenty of spare seats, so I hop aboard. The train is a '221'+'220' combo to allow for social distancing - a luxury on an XC train as normally you're playing sardines, so I make the most of it.
Lean; lacking flesh; meager; thin; gaunt.
- 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act III, scene ii]:
  O, give me the spare men, and spare me the great ones.
(UK, informal) Very angry; frustrated or distraught.
When he found out that someone had broken the window, he went spare.
The poor girl is going spare, stuck in the house all day with the kids like that.
- 2006, Tate Hallaway, Tall, Dark & Dead:
  “That'll drive him spare.”
- 2013, David Ovason, The Zelator:
  My grandfather (unaware that he was using antique terms) would often say ruefully that I would drive him spare. The idea was that my behaviour would so dement him as to drive him berserk.

Derived terms

go spare
like a spare prick at a wedding
spare ball
sparely
spareness
spare part
sparer
spare rib
spare room
spare time
spare tire
spare tyre
spare wheel

Descendants

→ Welsh: sbâr

Translations

scanty, not abundant or plentiful

Bulgarian: оскъден (bg) (oskǎden)
Finnish: niukka (fi)
Hungarian: szűkös (hu), visszafogott (hu), gyér (hu)
Italian: scarso (it)
Russian: уме́ренный (ru) (umérennyj), скудный (ru) (skudnyj)
Spanish: frugal (es), económico (es)

sparing

Bulgarian: пестелив (bg) (pesteliv)
Finnish: säästäväinen (fi)
Hungarian: takarékos (hu)
Italian: frugale (it), parsimonioso (it)
Russian: скупой (ru) m (skupoj)

being over and above what is necessary

Bulgarian: излишен (bg) (izlišen)
Czech: nadbytečný
Finnish: ylimääräinen (fi)
Hungarian: szabad (hu), plusz (hu), fennmaradó, megmaradt, maradék (hu)
Italian: superfluo (it), ulteriore (it)
Latin: subsicīvus
Persian: اضافه‎ (fa) (ezâfe)
Russian: ли́шний (ru) (líšnij)
Scottish Gaelic: a bharrachd
Welsh: sbâr (cy)

held in reserve

Bulgarian: запасен (bg) (zapasen), резервен (bg) (rezerven)
Czech: náhradní (cs)
Finnish: vara- (fi)
French: rechange (fr)
Hungarian: tartalék (hu), pót-
Italian: di scorta, di riserva, di ricambio
Maori: tu(w)hene
Persian: زاپاس‎ (fa) (zâpâs), یدکی‎ (fa) (yadaki), یدک‎ (fa) (yadak)
Russian: запасно́й (ru) (zapasnój)
Scottish Gaelic: a bharrachd
Spanish: de reserva (loc.), de repuesto (loc.)

lean, meager

Bulgarian: мършав (bg) (mǎršav)
Finnish: laiha (fi)
German: schlank (de)
Hungarian: sovány (hu), cingár (hu), ösztövér
Italian: magro (it) m, smilzo (it)
Manx: thanney
Maori: kōkau (refers to the human figure)

slow

Noun

spare (plural spares)

The act of sparing; moderation; restraint.
- 1659, T[itus] Livius [i.e., Livy], “(please specify the book number)”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Romane Historie […], London: […] W. Hunt, for George Sawbridge, […], OCLC 12997447:
  men slaine, then without any spare at all they trampled over the dead carkasses
Parsimony; frugal use.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, OCLC 960102938, stanza 51:
  Pourd out their plenty, without spight or spare:
An opening in a petticoat or gown; a placket.
That which has not been used or expended.
A spare part, especially a spare tire.
A superfluous or second-best person.
an heir and a spare (dynastic context)
- 2023, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex; J. R. Moehringer, Spare‎, Penguin Random House, →ISBN:
  The whole Heir versus Spare thing? Wasn't it a bit late for that tired childhood dynamic?
(bowling) 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.
(bowling) 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.
(Canada) A free period; a block of school during which one does not have a class.
- 2010, Sandra Rinomato, Realty Check: Real Estate Secrets for First-Time Canadian Home Buyers:
  I also remember watching David Letterman's short-lived morning show on TV when I had a spare during my school schedule.
(Myanmar) assistant or extra hand (typically on buses and lorries)

Derived terms

donut spare
hot spare

Etymology 2

From Middle English sparen, sparien, from Old English sparian (“to spare, show mercy to, refrain from injuring or destroying”), from Proto-Germanic *sparōną, *sparāną (“to save, keep, spare”), from Proto-Indo-European *sper- (“to be productive, earn”).

Cognate with Scots spar, spare, spair (“to spare”), West Frisian sparje (“to save, spare”), Dutch sparen (“to save, spare”), German sparen (“to save, conserve, economise”), Swedish spara (“to save, save up”), Icelandic spara (“to save, conserve”).

Verb

spare (third-person singular simple present spares, present participle sparing, simple past and past participle spared)

To show mercy.
1. (intransitive) To desist; to stop; to refrain.
2. (intransitive) To refrain from inflicting harm; to use mercy or forbearance.
3. (transitive) To preserve (someone) from danger or punishment; to forbear to punish, injure, or harm (someone); to show mercy towards.
  - 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Proverbs 6:34:
    For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
  1. (specifically) To refrain from killing (someone) or having (someone) killed.
    - 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, OCLC 702939134:
      Kill me, if you please, or spare me.
    - 2012 August 21, Pilkington, Ed, “Death penalty on trial: should Reggie Clemons live or die?”, in The Guardian:
      Reggie Clemons has one last chance to save his life. After 19 years on death row in Missouri for the murder of two young women, he has been granted a final opportunity to persuade a judge that he should be spared execution by lethal injection.
    - 2021 August 16, “Exploring the SCP Foundation: SCP-6002 - All Creatures Great and Small”, in The Exploring Series‎, archived from the original on 10 January 2023, retrieved 12 January 2023, 19:06 from the start:
      In April of 2009, however, the disease was found to suddenly no longer be appearing in newly-hatched chickens, and, upon review, it was discovered that Dr. Wildcat had modified 6002 without authorization, removing the disease from the genome. She's detained and questioned by Muller, and, even though she tries to lie that she didn't do anything, they have footage of her ascending the tree on her own. Muller tells her that she can't just take it upon herself to decide what's best, as who knows what would've happened if she had made a mistake. She proceeds to cuss him out, and he gives her a choice, telling her that if she apologizes now, he'll put in a good word for her with the O5 Council, which might spare her. She's silent for a moment, but does end up apologizing.
To keep.
1. (intransitive) To be frugal; to not be profuse; to live frugally; to be parsimonious.
  - 1737, Alexander Pope, The Second Epistle of the Second Book of Horace, Imitated by Mr. Pope:
    I, who at some times spend, at others spare, / Divided between carelessness and care.
2. (transitive) To keep to oneself; to forbear to impart or give.
  - 1667, John Milton, “Book III”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554:
    Thou that day / Thy Father's dreadful thunder didst not spare
  - 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Proverbs 17:27:
    He that hath knowledge, spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.
3. (transitive) To save or gain, as by frugality; to reserve, as from some occupation, use, or duty.
  - 1610, Richard Knolles, The Generall Historie of the Turkes, from the First Beginning of that Nation‎, page 580:
    All the time he could spare from the necessary cares of his weighty charge, from assaults, and the naturall refreshing of his body, be bestowed in praier and seruing of God
(transitive) (to give up): To deprive oneself of, as by being frugal; to do without; to dispense with; to give up; to part with.
- a. 1779, Earl of Roscommon, “The Twenty-second Ode of the First Book of Horace”:
  Where angry Jove did never spare / One breath of kind and temperate air.
- c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act V, scene iv]:
  Poor Jack, farewell! / I could have better spared a better man
- 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XXII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, OCLC 4293071:
  Not unnaturally, “Auntie” took this communication in bad part. […] Next day she […] tried to recover her ward by the hair of the head. Then, thwarted, the wretched creature went to the police for help; she was versed in the law, and had perhaps spared no pains to keep on good terms with the local constabulary.
- 1960 April, “Talking of Trains: The present difficulties”, in Trains Illustrated, page 193:
  At Southall, we believe, it has been difficult to spare men from an understaffed motive power establishment to undergo non revenue-earning training on the diesel multiple-units, because crews are scarce for trip freight working.

Conjugation

Conjugation of spare

infinitive	(to) spare
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	spare	spared
2nd-person singular	spare, sparest^†	spared, sparedst^†
3rd-person singular	spares, spareth^†	spared
plural	spare	spared

subjunctive	spare	spared

imperative	spare	—

participles	sparing	spared

^†Archaic or obsolete.

Derived terms

spare no effort
spare someone's blushes
spare someone the details
spare the rod and spoil the child
to spare

Descendants

→ Welsh: sbario

Translations

to show mercy

Arabic: رَحِمَ‎ (raḥima)
Bulgarian: щадя (bg) (štadja), пощадявам (poštadjavam)
Gothic: 𐍆𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽 (freidjan)
Greek:
Ancient: φείδομαι (pheídomai)
Hungarian: megkímél (hu), kímél (hu)
Icelandic: þyrma
Latin: impercō, parcō
Old Norse: þyrma
Sanskrit: मृडति (sa) (mṛḍati)
Spanish: apiadarse (es)
Swedish: skona (sv)

to be frugal

Bulgarian: икономисвам (bg) (ikonomisvam)
Hungarian: spórol (hu), takarékoskodik (hu)
Latin: parcō
Maori: matatoua

to reserve from occupation, use or duty

Bulgarian: пестя (bg) (pestja)
Dutch: sparen (nl)
French: épargner (fr)
German: sparen (de)
Hungarian: félretesz (hu), megtakarít (hu), megspórol
Italian: risparmiare (it)
Quechua: waqaychay
Russian: жале́ть (ru) impf (žalétʹ)
Spanish: ahorrar (es)
Ukrainian: шкодува́ти impf (škoduváty)
Walloon: spårgnî (wa)

Anagrams

Asper, Earps, Pears, Peras, RESPA, Rapes, Spear, Spera, apers, apres, après, après-, aprés, as per, asper, pares, parse, pears, prase, presa, præs., rapes, reaps, sarpe, spear

Danish

Etymology 1

From English spare. Related to the following verb.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /spɛːr/, [ˈsb̥ɛɐ̯], [ˈsb̥æɐ̯]

Noun

spare c (singular definite sparen, plural indefinite spare or spares)

(bowling) spare (the act of knocking down all remaining pins in second ball of a frame)

Inflection

Declension of spare

common gender	Singular		Plural
common gender	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	spare	sparen	spare spares	sparene
genitive	spares	sparens	spares spares'	sparenes

References

“spare,1” in Den Danske Ordbog

Etymology 2

From Old Norse spara, from Proto-Germanic *sparāną, cognate with Swedish spara, English spare, German sparen.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /spaːrə/, [ˈsb̥ɑːɑ]
Homophones: sparer, sparre, sparrer

Verb

spare (past tense sparede, past participle sparet)

to save
to spare
to economize
to save up

Inflection

Inflection of spare

	present	past
simple	sparer	sparede
perfect	har sparet	havde sparet
passive	spares	sparedes
participle	sparende	sparet
imperative	spar	—
infinitive	spare	—
auxiliary verb	have	—
gerund	sparen	—

References

“spare,2” in Den Danske Ordbog

Dutch

Pronunciation

Audio (file)

Verb

spare

(archaic) singular present subjunctive of sparen

French

Etymology 1

From Latin sparus.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /spaʁ/

Noun

spare m (plural spares)

a fish of the superorder Acanthopterygii

Etymology 2

From English spare.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /spɛʁ/

Noun

spare m (plural spares)

(bowling) a spare

Related terms

strike

German

Pronunciation

Audio (file)

Verb

spare

inflection of sparen:
1. first-person singular present
2. first/third-person singular subjunctive I
3. singular imperative

Latin

Pronunciation

(Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈspa.re/, [ˈs̠pärɛ]

(Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈspa.re/, [ˈspäːre]

Noun

spare

vocative singular of sparus

Middle English

Noun

spare

Alternative form of sparre

Verb

spare

Alternative form of sparren (“to close”)

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse spara.

Verb

spare (imperative spar, present tense sparer, passive spares, simple past sparte, past participle spart, present participle sparende)

to save

Derived terms

sparebank

References

“spare” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

spare

English

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Adjective

Derived terms

Descendants

Translations

Noun

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Verb

Conjugation

Derived terms

Descendants

Translations

Anagrams

Danish

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Noun

Inflection

References

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Verb

Inflection

References

Dutch

Pronunciation

Verb

French

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Noun

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Noun

Related terms

Further reading

German

Pronunciation

Verb

Latin

Pronunciation

Noun

Middle English

Noun

Verb

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Verb

Derived terms

References