spɛə adj., n., & v. --adj. 1 a
not required
for ordinary use;
extra (have no spare cash; spare time). b
reserved for
emergency or
occasional use (slept in
the spare room). 2 lean;
thin. 3
scanty;
frugal; not
copious (a spare diet; a spare
prose style). 4 colloq. not wanted or used by others (a spare
seat in the
front row). --n. 1
Brit. a spare
part; a
duplicate. 2
Bowling the knocking-down of
all the pins
with the
first two balls. --v. 1 tr.
afford to
give or do
without;
dispense with (cannot spare
him just now; can spare
you a couple). 2 tr. a
abstain from killing, hurting, wounding, etc. (spared
his feelings; spared
her life). b abstain from inflicting or causing;
relieve from (spare me
this talk; spare my blushes). 3 tr. be frugal or
grudging of (no
expense spared). 4 intr.
archaic be frugal. øgo spare colloq. 1 Brit.
become extremely
angry or
distraught. 2 be
unwanted by others. not spare
oneself exert one's
utmost efforts. spare part a duplicate part to
replace a
lost or damaged part of a
machine etc. spare
tyre 1 an extra tyre carried in a
motor vehicle for emergencies. 2 Brit. colloq. a
roll of
fat round the
waist. to spare left
over;
additional (an
hour to spare). øøsparely adv. spareness n. sparer n. [OE spór, sparian f. Gmc]