Scarce Definition & Meaning | Bay Area Crosswords

About The Word Scarce

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Scarce

Scarce Definition And Meaning
What's The Definition Of Scarce? [adv] by a small margin; "they could barely hear the speaker"; "we hardly knew them"; "just missed being hit"; "had scarcely rung the bell when the door flew open"; "would have scarce arrived before she would have found some excuse to leave"- W.B.Yeats [adj] deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand; "fresh vegetables were scarce during the drought" [adj] not enough; hard to find; "meat was scarce during the war" Synonyms \| Synonyms for Scarce: barely \| deficient \| hardly \| insufficient \| just \| rare \| scarcely \| tight Related Terms \| Find terms related to Scarce: See Also \| meager \| meagerly \| meagre Scarce In Webster's Dictionary \Scarce\ (sk[^a]rs), a. [Compar. {Scarcer} (sk[^a]r"s[~e]r); superl. {Scarcest}.] [OE. scars, OF. escars, eschars, LL. scarpsus, excarpsus, for L. excerptus, p. p. of excerpere to pick out, and hence to contract, to shorten; ex (see {Ex-}) + carpere. See {Carpet}, and cf. {Excerp}.] 1. Not plentiful or abundant; in small quantity in proportion to the demand; not easily to be procured; rare; uncommon. You tell him silver is scarcer now in England, and therefore risen one fifth in value. --Locke. The scarcest of all is a Pescennius Niger on a medallion well preserved. --Addison. 2. Scantily supplied (with); deficient (in); -- with of. [Obs.] ``A region scarce of prey.'' --Milton. 3. Sparing; frugal; parsimonious; stingy. [Obs.] ``Too scarce ne too sparing.'' --Chaucer. {To make one's self scarce}, to decamp; to depart. [Slang] Syn: Rare; infrequent; deficient. See {Rare}. \Scarce\, Scarcely \Scarce"ly\, adv. 1. With difficulty; hardly; scantly; barely; but just. With a scarce well-lighted flame. --Milton. The eldest scarcely five year was of age. --Chaucer. Slowly she sails, and scarcely stems the tides. --Dryden. He had scarcely finished, when the laborer arrived who had been sent for my ransom. --W. Irving. 2. Frugally; penuriously. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

Scarce Definition And Meaning

What's The Definition Of Scarce?

[adv] by a small margin; "they could barely hear the speaker"; "we hardly knew them"; "just missed being hit"; "had scarcely rung the bell when the door flew open"; "would have scarce arrived before she would have found some excuse to leave"- W.B.Yeats
[adj] deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand; "fresh vegetables were scarce during the drought"
[adj] not enough; hard to find; "meat was scarce during the war"

Related Terms | Find terms related to Scarce:

See Also | meager | meagerly | meagre

Scarce In Webster's Dictionary

\Scarce\ (sk[^a]rs), a. [Compar. {Scarcer}
(sk[^a]r"s[~e]r); superl. {Scarcest}.] [OE. scars, OF.
escars, eschars, LL. scarpsus, excarpsus, for L. excerptus,
p. p. of excerpere to pick out, and hence to contract, to
shorten; ex (see {Ex-}) + carpere. See {Carpet}, and cf.
{Excerp}.]
1. Not plentiful or abundant; in small quantity in proportion
   to the demand; not easily to be procured; rare; uncommon.

         You tell him silver is scarcer now in England, and
         therefore risen one fifth in value.   --Locke.

         The scarcest of all is a Pescennius Niger on a
         medallion well preserved.             --Addison.

2. Scantily supplied (with); deficient (in); -- with of.
   [Obs.] ``A region scarce of prey.'' --Milton.

3. Sparing; frugal; parsimonious; stingy. [Obs.] ``Too scarce
   ne too sparing.'' --Chaucer.

{To make one's self scarce}, to decamp; to depart. [Slang]

Syn: Rare; infrequent; deficient. See {Rare}.


\Scarce\, Scarcely \Scarce"ly\, adv.
1. With difficulty; hardly; scantly; barely; but just.

         With a scarce well-lighted flame.     --Milton.

         The eldest scarcely five year was of age. --Chaucer.

         Slowly she sails, and scarcely stems the tides.
                                               --Dryden.

         He had scarcely finished, when the laborer arrived
         who had been sent for my ransom.      --W. Irving.

2. Frugally; penuriously. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

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