I. spar 1 /spɑː $ spɑːr/ BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle sparred , present participle sparring ) [intransitive]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: Probably from spur ]
1 . to practise ↑ boxing with someone
spar with
He broke his nose while sparring with Vega.
2 . to argue with someone but not in an unpleasant way
spar over
Senators are sparring over the health bill.
spar with
He’s been sparring with the security guards.
⇨ ↑ sparring partner
II. spar 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
a thick pole, especially one used on a ship to support sails or ropes ⇨ mast