Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Scant?

\Scant\, a. [Compar. {Scanter}; superl. {Scantest}.] [Icel. skamt, neuter of skamr, skammr, short; cf. skamta to dole out, to portion.] 1. Not full, large, or plentiful; scarcely sufficient; less than is wanted for the purpose; scanty; meager; not enough; as, a scant allowance of provisions or water; a scant pattern of cloth for a garment. His sermon was scant, in all, a quarter of an hour. --Ridley. 2. Sparing; parsimonious; chary. Be somewhat scanter of your maiden presence. --Shak. Syn: See under {Scanty}.
\Scant\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Scanted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Scanting}.] 1. To limit; to straiten; to treat illiberally; to stint; as, to scant one in provisions; to scant ourselves in the use of necessaries. Where a man hath a great living laid together and where he is scanted. --Bacon. I am scanted in the pleasure of dwelling on your actions. --Dryden. 2. To cut short; to make small, narrow, or scanty; to curtail. ``Scant not my cups.'' --Shak.
\Scant\, v. i. To fail, or become less; to scantle; as, the wind scants.
\Scant\, adv. In a scant manner; with difficulty; scarcely; hardly. [Obs.] --Bacon. So weak that he was scant able to go down the stairs. --Fuller.
\Scant\, n. Scantness; scarcity. [R.] --T. Carew.