'Sparing' definitions:

Definition of 'sparing'

From: WordNet
adjective
Avoiding waste; "an economical meal"; "an economical shopper"; "a frugal farmer"; "a frugal lunch"; "a sparing father and a spending son"; "sparing in their use of heat and light"; "stinting in bestowing gifts"; "thrifty because they remember the great Depression"; "`scotch' is used only informally" [syn: economical, frugal, scotch, sparing, stinting]

Definition of 'Sparing'

From: GCIDE
  • Spare \Spare\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spared; p. pr. & vb. n. Sparing.] [AS. sparian, fr. spaer spare, sparing, saving; akin to D. & G. sparen, OHG. spar?n, Icel. & Sw. spara, Dan. spare See Spare, a.]
  • 1. To use frugally or stintingly, as that which is scarce or valuable; to retain or keep unused; to save. "No cost would he spare." --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]
  • [Thou] thy Father's dreadful thunder didst not spare. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
  • He that hath knowledge, spareth his words. --Prov. xvii. 27. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. To keep to one's self; to forbear to impart or give. [1913 Webster]
  • Be pleased your plitics to spare. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]
  • Spare my sight the pain Of seeing what a world of tears it costs you. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. To preserve from danger or punishment; to forbear to punish, injure, or harm; to show mercy to. [1913 Webster]
  • Spare us, good Lord. --Book of Common Prayer. [1913 Webster]
  • Dim sadness did not spare That time celestial visages. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
  • Man alone can whom he conquers spare. --Waller. [1913 Webster]
  • 4. To save or gain, as by frugality; to reserve, as from some occupation, use, or duty. [1913 Webster]
  • All the time he could spare from the necessary cares of his weighty charge, he ?estowed on . . . serving of God. --Knolles. [1913 Webster]
  • 5. To deprive one's self of, as by being frugal; to do without; to dispense with; to give up; to part with. [1913 Webster]
  • Where angry Jove did never spare One breath of kind and temperate air. --Roscommon. [1913 Webster]
  • I could have better spared a better man. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • To spare one's self. (a) To act with reserve. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
  • Her thought that a lady should her spare. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster] (b) To save one's self labor, punishment, or blame. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Sparing'

From: GCIDE
  • Sparing \Spar"ing\, a. Spare; saving; frugal; merciful. --Bacon. [1913 Webster] -- {Spar"ing*ly}, adv. -- {Spar"ing*ness}, n. [1913 Webster]