sparse
English
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin sparsus.
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /spɑːs/
- (US) IPA(key): /spɑːɹs/
Audio (UK) (file) - Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)s
Adjective
sparse (comparative sparser, superlative sparsest)
- Having widely spaced intervals.
- a sparse array, index, or matrix
- 2019 October, Tony Miles and Philip Sherratt, “EMR kicks off new era”, in Modern Railways, page 58:
- The Leicester to Grimsby service will become hourly throughout (with some extensions to Cleethorpes as at present), while a new hourly Peterborough to Doncaster service via Spalding, Sleaford and Lincoln will join up two routes with a sparse service at present.
- Not dense; meager; scanty
- (mathematics) Having few nonzero elements
Synonyms
- (having widely spaced intervals): spread out, thin; see also Thesaurus:diffuse
- (meager): insufficient, paltry; see also Thesaurus:inadequate
Derived terms
- sparsen
- sparsification
- sparsity
Related terms
- sparge
Translations
having widely spaced intervals
|
not dense; meager
|
having few zero elements
|
See also
- thin out
Verb
sparse (third-person singular simple present sparses, present participle sparsing, simple past and past participle sparsed)
- (obsolete) To disperse, to scatter.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:disperse
- 1536, [Richard Morison], A Remedy for Sedition, London: […] Thomae Bertheleti […], OCLC 216192236, signature F. i.:
- They began properly to ſparſe pretye rumours in the North, that no man ſhulde eate whyte breade, no man eate pygge, gooſe, or capon, without he agreed before with the kynge.
Anagrams
- Arpses, Aspers, Serpas, Spears, Speras, aspers, parses, passer, prases, presas, repass, sarpes, spares, spaser, spears
Italian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈspar.se/
- Rhymes: -arse
- Hyphenation: spàr‧se
Verb
sparse
- third-person singular past historic of spargere
Verb
sparse
- third-person singular past historic of sparire
Participle
sparse f pl
- feminine plural of sparso
Anagrams
- pressa, spersa
Latin
Participle
sparse
- vocative masculine singular of sparsus
Romanian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈsparse]
Verb
sparse
- third-person singular simple perfect indicative of sparge