ˈskantē, -aan-, -ain-, -ti adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: scant (I) + -y
1.
a. : meager or barely sufficient : lacking in amplitude, abundance, or extension
the peasant whose nervous system is best adapted to thrive on scanty nutriment — Brooks Adams
used to acquire much of his scanty wardrobe by barter — Dwight Macdonald
b. : somewhat less than is needed : insufficient , scant
his own scanty cavalry … would … be unequal to the weight which would be thrown on them — J.A.Froude
issuing bills of credit to supplement the scanty currency — V.L.Parrington
c. : thinly spread in time or space : sparse
a desert range with scanty vegetation — G.R.Stewart
the grass does not renew itself after the rains become scanty — Samuel Van Valkenburg & Ellsworth Huntington
2. : giving small portions : parsimonious
Synonyms: see meager