See Also: Spare Rib(dictionary)
spare-rib(dictionary)
spare(4)(dictionary)
spare(3)(dictionary)
spare(2)(dictionary)
spare(1)(dictionary)
Spare(medicine)
spare tyre(dictionary)
spare room(dictionary)
spare ribs(dictionary)

spare(4) (iou)



spare verb.
[Old English sparian = Old Frisian sparia, Old Saxon, Old High German sparon (Dutch, German sparen), Old Norse spara, from Germanic.]
I.
verb trans. Refrain from killing, injuring or punishing (a person); refrain from destroying or damaging (a thing). OE.
Shakespeare King Lear Spare my grey beard, you wagtail? J. M. Coetzee He and Friday, none but they having been spared when their ship went down. B. W. Aldiss Successive owners had spared the..Victorian fireplace.
b. Forgive or pardon (a sin, etc.). Now rare. LME.
c. Refrain from ending (a person's life). L16.
verb intrans. Exercise or show mercy or leniency. arch. ME.
Bible (AV): Proverbs 6:34 He will not spare in the day of vengeance.
verb trans.
a. Allow to be free or exempt from a task etc.; save or relieve from. LME.
J. C. Powys Johnny was spared the embarrassment of explaining..by the entrance of the Marquis. S. Bellow I wanted to be..spared from knowing what..my generation is undergoing. R. Gordon To spare my feelings I was allowed to slip away. J. Wain Now was my chance to spare him..further anxiety. A. Dillard He spares his readers a report of his experience.
b. Refrain from denouncing; deal leniently with. M16.
H. Wilson The Prime Minister spared no one,..and reserved his most cutting quips for his most powerful colleagues.
II.
verb trans. Refrain from using or (now rare) consuming; use with moderation or restraint; (now rare) forbear to do. Formerly also, save, hoard. OE.
Swift Resolved to spare my provisions as much as I could. R. L. Stevenson Of my nightmare wanderings..I spare to tell. P. G. Wodehouse Home, James, and don't spare the horses. Proverb: Spare the rod and spoil the child.
b. verb intrans. Refrain from doing something; spec. use or practise economy, be frugal. arch. ME.
c. verb trans. In pass.: be left over or unused. Now dial. L16.
a. verb trans. Avoid incurring or be grudging of (expense etc.). ME.
B. Montgomery No effort was spared in standardising the experimental conditions. M. Forster A good party, no expense spared.
b. verb trans. Avoid, shun. Now rare. LME.
verb trans. Afford to give or do without; part or dispense with. ME.
D. Cusack Could you spare a moment? I am so sorry to disturb you. G. Greene They could spare Joseph easily because of his damaged hip. G. Battiscombe Where money for necessities was short, little..could be spared for amusement.
b. Reserve or retain for a particular use. Now rare. ME.
c. Give, grant; supply (a person) with something. L16.
J. Conrad No one spared him a glance.
d. Save or relieve (a person, a person's feelings, etc.) from something. L17.
A. Radcliffe Spare me the necessity of mentioning those circumstances.
Phrases: not spare oneself exert one's utmost efforts. spare a person's blushes: see BLUSH noun 2. spare for arch. refrain from doing; be economical (usu. in neg. contexts). to spare left over; free; additional.
spareable adjective (earlier in UNSPAREABLE) L17.
sparer noun LME.