Library / English Dictionary

SPAR

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: sparred    , sparring   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Making the motions of attack and defense with the fists and arms; a part of training for a boxer

Synonyms:

spar; sparring

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("spar" is a kind of...):

boxing; fisticuffs; pugilism (fighting with the fists)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A stout rounded pole of wood or metal used to support rigging

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("spar" is a kind of...):

pole (a long (usually round) rod of wood or metal or plastic)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "spar"):

boom (any of various more-or-less horizontal spars or poles used to extend the foot of a sail or for handling cargo or in mooring)

bowsprit (a spar projecting from the bow of a vessel)

dolphin striker; martingale (spar under the bowsprit of a sailboat)

gaff (a spar rising aft from a mast to support the head of a quadrilateral fore-and-aft sail)

jibboom (a spar that extends the bowsprit)

mast (a vertical spar for supporting sails)

sprit (a light spar that crosses a fore-and-aft sail diagonally)

yard (a long horizontal spar tapered at the end and used to support and spread a square sail or lateen)

Holonyms ("spar" is a part of...):

ship (a vessel that carries passengers or freight)

Derivation:

spar (furnish with spars)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Any of various nonmetallic minerals (calcite or feldspar) that are light in color and transparent or translucent and cleavable

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("spar" is a kind of...):

mineral (solid homogeneous inorganic substances occurring in nature having a definite chemical composition)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "spar"):

feldspar; felspar (any of a group of hard crystalline minerals that consist of aluminum silicates of potassium or sodium or calcium or barium)

calcite (a common mineral consisting of crystallized calcium carbonate; a major constituent of limestone)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Fight verbally

Example:

They were sparring all night

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "spar" is one way to...):

argue; contend; debate; fence (have an argument about something)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence examples:

Sam and Sue spar

Sam wants to spar with Sue

Derivation:

sparring (an argument in which the participants are trying to gain some advantage)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Box lightly

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "spar" is one way to...):

box (engage in a boxing match)

Domain category:

athletics; sport (an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

sparring (making the motions of attack and defense with the fists and arms; a part of training for a boxer)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Fight with spurs

Example:

the gamecocks were sparring

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "spar" is one way to...):

contend; fight; struggle (be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight)

Domain category:

cockfighting (participation in the sport of matching gamecocks in a cockfight)

athletics; sport (an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 4

Meaning:

Furnish with spars

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "spar" is one way to...):

equip; fit; fit out; outfit (provide with (something) usually for a specific purpose)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

spar (a stout rounded pole of wood or metal used to support rigging)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Such was the information of the first five minutes; the second unfolded thus much in detail—that they had driven directly to the York Hotel, ate some soup, and bespoke an early dinner, walked down to the pump-room, tasted the water, and laid out some shillings in purses and spars; thence adjourned to eat ice at a pastry-cook's, and hurrying back to the hotel, swallowed their dinner in haste, to prevent being in the dark; and then had a delightful drive back, only the moon was not up, and it rained a little, and Mr. Morland's horse was so tired he could hardly get it along.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Far behind them the two galleys labored heavily, now sinking between the rollers until their yards were level with the waves, and again shooting up with a reeling, scooping motion until every spar and rope stood out hard against the sky.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The tackle dragged heavily across the rail, increasing its drag as the spar arose more and more out of the water, and the exertion on the windlass grew severe.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

But when they saw Redruth waiting for them in the sparred galley, they went about ship at once, and a head popped out again on deck.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

But a great cry, which was audible even above the wind and water, rose from the shore at this moment; the sea, sweeping over the rolling wreck, made a clean breach, and carried men, spars, casks, planks, bulwarks, heaps of such toys, into the boiling surge.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

The betting was still steadily in favour of Wilson, for he had a number of bye-battles to set against this single victory of Jim’s, and it was thought by connoisseurs who had seen him spar that the singular defensive tactics which had given him his nickname would prove very puzzling to a raw antagonist.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

When I thought I had it I cried to her to slack away; but the spar righted, despite my efforts, and dropped back toward the water.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

With that I scuttled down the companion with all the noise I could, slipped off my shoes, ran quietly along the sparred gallery, mounted the forecastle ladder, and popped my head out of the fore companion.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

There were many things to be brought up from the beach and stored in the outhouse—as oars, nets, sails, cordage, spars, lobster-pots, bags of ballast, and the like; and though there was abundance of assistance rendered, there being not a pair of working hands on all that shore but would have laboured hard for Mr. Peggotty, and been well paid in being asked to do it, yet she persisted, all day long, in toiling under weights that she was quite unequal to, and fagging to and fro on all sorts of unnecessary errands.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

The spar could not have missed me by many inches, while it spurred me to action.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)