spare

CEFRB1

/spɛə(ɹ)/

adjective · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Extra and available to use if needed.

  2. 02

    verb

    To choose not to harm, punish, or use something.

Examples

  • But I can't spare the time just now.

  • Can you spare me a few minutes of your valuable time?

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5

Also pronounced

  • /speː/
  • /spiə/

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. Extra., Held in reserve, to be used in an emergency.

  2. Extra., Not occupied or in current use.

  3. Being more than what is necessary, or what must be used or reserved; not wanted, or not used; superfluous.

More examples

In context

  • We have three spare rooms, none of which can be used.

  • We could rent out the spare room.

  • a spare anchor; a spare wheel or tyre

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The kind judge decided to blank the young offender because of his age.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

From Middle English spare, spar, from Old English spær (“sparing, scant”), from Proto-Germanic *sparaz, from Proto-Indo-European *sph₁rós, from the root *speh₁-. Compare Dutch spaar(zaam), German spar(sam) and spär(lich), Swedish spar(sam), Icelandic sparr (“sparing”); also Latin (pro)sperus (“lucky”), Old Church Slavonic споръ (sporŭ, “plentiful”), Albanian shperr (“earn money”), Persian سپار (sepâr, “entrust; deposit”), Ancient Greek σπαρνός (sparnós, “rare”), Sanskrit स्फिर (sphirá, “thick”).