Scarce \Scarce\, Scarcely \Scarce"ly\, adv.
1. With difficulty; hardly; scantly; barely; but just.
[1913 Webster]
With a scarce well-lighted flame. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
The eldest scarcely five year was of age. --Chaucer.
[1913 Webster]
Slowly she sails, and scarcely stems the tides.
--Dryden.
[1913 Webster]
He had scarcely finished, when the laborer arrived
who had been sent for my ransom. --W. Irving.
[1913 Webster]
2. Frugally; penuriously. [Obs.]
--Chaucer.
[1913 Webster]
Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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Scarce \Scarce\ (sk[^a]rs), a. [Compar. Scarcer
(sk[^a]r"s[~e]r); superl. Scarcest.]
[OE. scars, OF.
escars, eschars, LL. scarpsus, excarpsus, for L. excerptus,
p. p. of excerpere to pick out, and hence to contract, to
shorten; ex (see Ex-) + carpere. See Carpet, and cf.
Excerp.]
1. Not plentiful or abundant; in small quantity in proportion
to the demand; not easily to be procured; rare; uncommon.
[1913 Webster]
You tell him silver is scarcer now in England, and
therefore risen one fifth in value. --Locke.
[1913 Webster]
The scarcest of all is a Pescennius Niger on a
medallion well preserved. --Addison.
[1913 Webster]
2. Scantily supplied (with); deficient (in); -- with of.
[Obs.]
"A region scarce of prey." --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
3. Sparing; frugal; parsimonious; stingy. [Obs.]
"Too scarce
ne too sparing." --Chaucer.
[1913 Webster]
To make one's self scarce, to decamp; to depart. [Slang]
[1913 Webster]
Syn: Rare; infrequent; deficient. See Rare.
[1913 Webster] Scarce
Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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55 Moby Thesaurus words for "scarce":
almost unheard-of, at a premium, barely, cheeseparing, chinchy,
chintzy, curtailed, deficient, exiguous, failing, few, hardly,
in short supply, inadequate, infrequent, insufficient, lacking,
meager, miserly, niggardly, occasional, out of print,
out of season, out of stock, piddling, poor, rare, scant, scanty,
scarcely, scattered, scrimping, scrimpy, seldom, seldom met with,
seldom seen, shortened, shy, skimping, skimpy, slim, slow, sparse,
sporadic, spotty, sprinkled, stingy, thin, tight, truncated,
uncommon, unfrequent, unique, unusual, wanting
Source: Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
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Scarce \Scarce\ (sk[^a]rs), a. [Compar. Scarcer
(sk[^a]r"s[~e]r); superl. Scarcest.]
[OE. scars, OF.
escars, eschars, LL. scarpsus, excarpsus, for L. excerptus,
p. p. of excerpere to pick out, and hence to contract, to
shorten; ex (see Ex-) + carpere. See Carpet, and cf.
Excerp.]
1. Not plentiful or abundant; in small quantity in proportion
to the demand; not easily to be procured; rare; uncommon.
You tell him silver is scarcer now in England, and
therefore risen one fifth in value. --Locke.
The scarcest of all is a Pescennius Niger on a
medallion well preserved. --Addison.
2. Scantily supplied (with); deficient (in); -- with of.
[Obs.]
``A region scarce of prey.'' --Milton.
3. Sparing; frugal; parsimonious; stingy. [Obs.]
``Too scarce
ne too sparing.'' --Chaucer.
To make one's self scarce, to decamp; to depart. [Slang]
Syn: Rare; infrequent; deficient. See Rare.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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Scarce \Scarce\, Scarcely \Scarce"ly\, adv.
1. With difficulty; hardly; scantly; barely; but just.
With a scarce well-lighted flame. --Milton.
The eldest scarcely five year was of age. --Chaucer.
Slowly she sails, and scarcely stems the tides.
--Dryden.
He had scarcely finished, when the laborer arrived
who had been sent for my ransom. --W. Irving.
2. Frugally; penuriously. [Obs.]
--Chaucer.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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