spare
spare Lexical Profile
spare Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Additional to what is required for ordinary use, or kept in reserve for emergencies.
"Always keep a spare key hidden in a safe place outside the house."
Plain and not decorated; restricted or frugal in style or quantity.
"The author is celebrated for his spare, direct prose style."
Having no excess fat; thin or lean.
"The marathon runner had a tall, spare frame built for endurance."
• verb
To give or make available (something of which one has enough, such as time or money) to someone.
"Could you spare a few minutes to review this proposal with me?"
To refrain from harming, punishing, or distressing (someone).
"She decided to spare him the embarrassment of correcting his mistake in public."
To refrain from using or incurring (something, especially expense, effort, or trouble).
"The organizers spared no expense in making the charity gala a memorable evening."
• noun
An item kept in case another item of the same type is lost, broken, or worn out, especially an extra tire or mechanical part.
"After hitting a pothole, we had to pull over and put on the spare."
In bowling, the act of knocking down all ten pins using both balls of a single frame.
"She picked up a difficult spare in the final frame to win the tournament."
• Rhymes for spare
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English spær ('sparing, frugal, scanty') and sparian ('to refrain from injuring, use sparingly'), derived from Proto-Germanic *sparaz.