spare

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   thin and fit

   the spare figure of a marathon runner

2. 2
   verb

   give up what is not strictly needed

   I asked if they could spare one of their horses to speed my journey.

3. 3
   verb

   save or relieve from an experience or action

   I'll spare you from having to apologize formally

4. 4
   adj

   Extra.

   I have no spare time.

5. 5
   adj

   Not plentiful.

   a spare diet

6. 6
   adj

   Very angry; frustrated or distraught.

   When he found out that someone had broken the window, he went spare.

7. 7
   noun

   The act of sparing; moderation; restraint.

   men slaine, then without any spare at all they trampled over the dead carkasses

8. 8
   noun

   Parsimony; frugal use.

   Pourd out their plenty, without spight or spare:

Etymology

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 سپار (sepâr, “entrust; deposit”), Ancient Greek σπαρνός (sparnós, “rare”), Sanskrit स्फिर (sphirá, “thick”).