Adjacent Words

Sparse definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SPARSE, a. spars. [L. sparsus, scattered, from spargo.]
1. Thinly scattered; set or planted here and there; as a sparse population.
2. In botany, not opposite, not alternate, nor in any apparent regular order; applied to branches, leaves peduncles, etc.
SPARSE, v.t. spars. To disperse. [Not in use.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: not dense; "a thin beard"; "trees were sparse" [syn: sparse, thin]

Merriam Webster's

adjective (sparser; sparsest) Etymology: Latin sparsus spread out, from past participle of spargere to scatter — more at spark Date: 1753 of few and scattered elements; especially not thickly grown or settled Synonyms: see meager • sparsely adverb • sparseness noun • sparsity noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. thinly dispersed or scattered; not dense (sparse population; sparse greying hair). Derivatives: sparsely adv. sparseness n. sparsity n. Etymology: L sparsus past part. of spargere scatter

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sparse Sparse, a. [Compar. Sparser; superl. Sparsest.] [L. sparsus, p. p. of spargere to strew, scatter. Cf. Asperse, Disperse.] 1. Thinly scattered; set or planted here and there; not being dense or close together; as, a sparse population. --Carlyle. 2. (Bot.) Placed irregularly and distantly; scattered; -- applied to branches, leaves, peduncles, and the like.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sparse Sparse, v. t. [L. sparsus, p. p. of spargere to scatter.] To scatter; to disperse. [Obs.] --Spenser.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(sparser, sparsest) Something that is sparse is small in number or amount and spread out over an area. Many slopes are rock fields with sparse vegetation... Traffic was sparse on the highway. ADJ • sparsely ...the sparsely populated interior region, where there are few roads. ADV: usu ADV -ed

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Scattered, spread here and there, thin.

Moby Thesaurus

almost unheard-of, at a premium, broadcast, cheeseparing, chinchy, chintzy, diffuse, discrete, dispersed, dispread, disseminated, dissipated, distributed, exiguous, in short supply, inappreciable, infrequent, insignificant, limited, little, meager, miserly, niggardly, not much, occasional, out of print, out of season, out of stock, piddling, poor, rare, scant, scanty, scarce, scattered, scrimp, scrimping, scrimpy, seldom met with, seldom seen, skimp, skimping, skimpy, slim, slow, spare, sparing, sporadic, spotty, spread, spread out, sprinkled, stingy, straggling, straggly, strewn, strown, thin, tight, uncommon, unfrequent, unique, unusual, widespread