Word Direct Answers

What does "scant" mean?

Scant: Sparing; parsimonious; chary. Be somewhat scanter of your maiden presence. Shak.

Additional senses

  1. 2.To limit; to straiten; to treat illiberally; to stint; as, to scant one in provisions; to scant ourselves in the use of necessaries. Where man hath a great living laid together and where he is scanted. Bacon. I am scanted in the pleasure of dwelling on your actions. Dryden.
  2. 3.To cut short; to make small, narrow, or scanty; to curtail. "Scant not my cups." Shak.
  3. 4.To fail, of become less; to scantle; as, the wind scants.
  4. 5.In a scant manner; with difficulty; scarcely; hardly. [Obs.] Bacon. So weak that he was scant able to go down the stairs. Fuller.
  5. 6.Scantness; scarcity. [R.] T. Carew.

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