I. ˈskers adjective
( scarc·er ; scarc·est )
Etymology: Middle English scars, from Anglo-French eschars, escars narrow, stingy, deficient, from Vulgar Latin * excarpsus, literally, plucked out, past participle of Latin excerpere to pluck out — more at excerpt
Date: 14th century
1. : deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand : not plentiful or abundant
2. : intentionally absent
made himself scarce at inspection time
Synonyms: see infrequent
• scarce·ness noun
II. adverb
Date: 15th century
: scarcely , hardly
scarce was independence half a century old, when a…split occurred — John McPhee