3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Sparing  \Spar"ing\,  a. 
  Spare;  saving;  frugal;  merciful.  --Bacon.  --  {Spar"ing*ly}, 
  adv  --  {Spar"ing*ness},  n. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Spare  \Spare\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Spared};  p.  pr  &  vb  n. 
  {Sparing}.]  [AS.  sparian,  fr  sp[ae]r  spare,  sparing,  saving; 
  akin  to  D.  &  G.  sparen,  OHG.  spar?n,  Icel.  &  Sw  spara,  Dan. 
  spare  See  {Spare},  a.] 
  1.  To  use  frugally  or  stintingly,  as  that  which  is  scarce  or 
  valuable;  to  retain  or  keep  unused;  to  save.  ``No  cost 
  would  he  spare.''  --Chaucer. 
 
  [Thou]  thy  Father's  dreadful  thunder  didst  not 
  spare.  --Milton. 
 
  He  that  hath  knowledge,  spareth  his  words  --Prov. 
  xvii.  27. 
 
  2.  To  keep  to  one's  self  to  forbear  to  impart  or  give 
 
  Be  pleased  your  plitics  to  spare.  --Dryden. 
 
  Spare  my  sight  the  pain  Of  seeing  what  a  world  of 
  tears  it  costs  you  --Dryden. 
 
  3.  To  preserve  from  danger  or  punishment;  to  forbear  to 
  punish,  injure,  or  harm;  to  show  mercy  to 
 
  Spare  us  good  Lord.  --Book  of 
  Common  Prayer. 
 
  Dim  sadness  did  not  spare  That  time  celestial 
  visages.  --Milton. 
 
  Man  alone  can  whom  he  conquers  spare.  --Waller. 
 
  4.  To  save  or  gain,  as  by  frugality;  to  reserve,  as  from  some 
  occupation,  use  or  duty. 
 
  All  the  time  he  could  spare  from  the  necessary  cares 
  of  his  weighty  charge,  he  ?estowed  on  .  .  .  serving 
  of  God.  --Knolles. 
 
  5.  To  deprive  one's  self  of  as  by  being  frugal;  to  do 
  without  to  dispense  with  to  give  up  to  part  with 
 
  Where  angry  Jove  did  never  spare  One  breath  of  kind 
  and  temperate  air.  --Roscommon. 
 
  I  could  have  better  spared  a  better  man.  --Shak. 
 
  {To  spare  one's  self}. 
  a  To  act  with  reserve.  [Obs.] 
 
  Her  thought  that  a  lady  should  her  spare. 
  --Chaucer. 
  b  To  save  one's  self  labor,  punishment,  or  blame. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  sparing 
  adj  :  avoiding  waste;  "an  economical  meal";  "an  economical 
  shopper";  "a  frugal  farmer";  "a  frugal  lunch";  "a 
  sparing  father  and  a  spending  son";  "sparing  in  their 
  use  of  heat  and  light";  "stinting  in  bestowing  gifts"; 
  "thrifty  because  they  remember  the  great  Depression"; 
  (`scotch'  is  used  only  informally)  [syn:  {economical}, 
  {frugal},  {scotch},  {stinting}] 

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