[spare] vb spared ; spar.ing [ME, fr. OE sparian; akin to OHG sparon to spare, OE spaer, adj., scant] vt (bef. 12c) 1: to forbear to destroy, punish, or harm
2: to refrain from attacking or reprimanding with necessary or salutary severity
3: to relieve of the necessity of doing or undergoing something "~ yourself the trouble"
4: to refrain from: avoid "spared no expense"
5: to use or dispense frugally--used chiefly in the negative "don't ~ the syrup"
6. a: to give up as not strictly needed "do you have any cash to ~" b: to have left over or as margin "time to ~" ~ vi 1: to be frugal
2: to refrain from doing harm: be lenient -- spare.able adj -- spar.er n
[2]spare adj spar.er ; spar.est [ME, fr. OE spaer sparing, scant; akin to OHG spar spare] (14c) 1: not being used; esp: held for emergency use "a ~ tire"
2: being over and above what is needed: superfluous "~ time"
3: not liberal or profuse: sparing "a ~ prose style"
4: healthily lean
5: not abundant or plentiful syn see lean, meager -- spare.ly adv -- spare.ness n [3]spare n (1642) 1 a: a spare tire b: a duplicate (as a key or a machine part) kept in reserve
2: the knocking down of all
10. pins with the first
2. balls in a frame in bowling