previous / next

spar ~ spare

[different pronunciation: ‘spar’ rhymes with “bar” and ‘spare’ rhymes with “bare”]

“Spar”, as a verb ~~~  spar – sparred – sparred – sparring , is ‘to do or to practise the movements that are used in boxing, karate, etc. with someone in order to get ready or to test one’s speed for a competition; to argue with someone, usually in a friendly way’; as a noun, it is ‘a long thick pole used to support sails and ropes on a ship; the structure that is used to support the wings on an aeroplane’, {Note: the word ‘sparring’ is more commonly used in phrases, such as ‘sparring partner’, ‘sparring session’, ‘sparring safety kit’, etc.}

e.g.

Our college boxing champion sparred regularly with the former champion for months before the actual competition.  [i.e. he practised his punches and other fighting techniques before the actual fight]

The two groups of the teaching staff have been sparring over the ‘study-hours’ issue for years.   [i.e. the two groups have been exchanging indirect insults and criticisms …]

____________________

“Spare”, as an adjective, is ‘something such as a key, pen, a pair of clothes, etc. that one keeps in addition to the one that has been in use; not being used or not needed at the moment; (of time) when one is not working; (of a person) annoyed or worried; (of the style of writing, painting, speech, etc.) plain and not using unnecessary points or details; (of a person) tall and thin’; as a verb, it is ‘to make something such as time, money, etc. available for someone else, especially when doing so is really difficult; to stop someone from getting into trouble or difficulty by doing something or not doing anything; to hide or leave out some points or details when telling someone about something because there is not enough time or those details are unnecessary or boring’; as a noun, it is ‘the additional thing one keeps so that it can be used when the actual one in use gets lost or broken’,

e.g.

You can stay with us tonight; we have got a spare bedroom.

I usually watch TV in my spare time.

Can you spare a hundred dollars, please?   [i.e. can you lend me …]

The teacher wouldn’t spare us if she knew that we cheated in/on the test.   [i.e. the teacher would punish us for cribbing in the test]

Our (car) battery is dead.  Ask Roger if he’s got any spare.    [i.e. if he has got a battery apart from the one he is using at present so that we can borrow]

<<< Back to List S /  Next  speculator ~ spectator >>>

<<< Back to main page