spar

¹

[ spahr ]

noun

1. Nautical. a stout pole such as those used for masts, etc.; a mast, yard, boom, gaff, or the like.
2. Aeronautics. a principal lateral member of the framework of a wing of an airplane.

verb (used with object)

, sparred, spar·ring.

1. to provide or make with spars.

spar

²

[ spahr ]

verb (used without object)

, sparred, spar·ring.

1. (of boxers) to make the motions of attack and defense with the arms and fists, especially as a part of training.
2. to box, especially with light blows.
3. to strike or attack with the feet or spurs, as gamecocks do.
4. to bandy words; dispute.

noun

1. a motion of sparring.
2. a boxing match.
3. a dispute.

spar

³

[ spahr ]

noun

1. any of various more or less lustrous crystalline minerals, as fluorspar or feldspar.

SPAR

⁴

or Spar

[ spahr ]

noun

1. (during World War II) a woman enlisted in the women's reserve of the U.S. Coast Guard (disbanded in 1946).

SpAr

⁵

abbreviation for

1. Spanish Arabic ( def ).

spar

¹

/ spɑː /

noun

1. any of various minerals, such as feldspar or calcite, that are light-coloured, microcrystalline, transparent to translucent, and easily cleavable spathic

spar

²

/ spɑː /

noun

1. 1. any piece of nautical gear resembling a pole and used as a mast, boom, gaff, etc
   2. ( as modifier )

      a spar buoy

2. a principal supporting structural member of an aerofoil that runs from tip to tip or root to tip

spar

³

/ spɑː /

verb

1. boxing martial arts to fight using light blows, as in training
2. to dispute or argue
3. (of gamecocks) to fight with the feet or spurs

noun

1. an unaggressive fight
2. an argument or wrangle
3. informal.
   a close friend

Other Words From

• sparlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of spar¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English spar(r)e, sperre, sper “a board, rafter, beam”; cognate with German Sparren, Dutch, Frisian spar, Old Norse sparri

Origin of spar²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English spar(r)en “to go quickly, rush, dart, thrust”; further origin unknown

Origin of spar³

First recorded in 1575–85; from Middle Low German spar, sper; akin to Old English spær(stān) “gypsum, chalk”

Origin of spar⁴

1942; < Latin S ( emper ) par ( ātus ) “Always ready” the Coast Guard motto

Word History and Origins

Origin of spar¹

C16: from Middle Low German spar; related to Old English spærstān; see feldspar

Origin of spar²

C13: from Old Norse sperra beam; related to Old High German sparro, Old French esparre

Origin of spar³

Old English, perhaps from spur

Example Sentences

The litigation is the latest sparring match over the landmark legislation.

From Los Angeles Times

Written by Sonny as a retort to Bob Dylan’s bitter “It Ain’t Me Babe,” “I Got You Babe” found the couple sparring with the Beatles at the top of the charts.

From Salon

Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus defended his old sparring partner Gatland this week and urged people to show the Wales boss the respect he deserves.

From BBC

"It was a decent sparring session between a tough, young novice and a very old but once great man, Mike Tyson," Bunce said.

From BBC

Chinitz added that the reinstitution of fault-only grounds would "bog down" the already overwhelmed family court system as estranged couples air out their deeply personal grievances and spar over proving one party's wrongdoing.

From Salon

Related Words

• argue
• bicker
• contend
• quarrel
• wrangle