Category:Scant

Scant, a. [compar. Scanter; superl. Scantest.] Etym: [icel. skamt, Neuter of skamr, skammr, short; cf. skamta to dole out, to portion.]

1. Not full, large, or plentiful; scarcely sufficient; less than is Wanted for the purpose; scanty; meager; not enough; as, a scant Allowance of provisions or water; a scant pattern of cloth for a Garment. His sermon was scant, in all, a quarter of an hour. Ridley.

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

Syn. -- see under scanty.

Scant Scant, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Scanted; p. pr. & vb. n. Scanting.]

1. 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. To cut short; to make small, narrow, or scanty; to curtail. "scant Not my cups." Shak.

Scant Scant, v. i.

Defn: to fail, of become less; to scantle; as, the wind scants.

Scant Scant, adv.

Defn: in a scant manner; with difficulty; scarcely; hardly. [obs.] Bacon. So weak that he was scant able to go down the stairs. Fuller.

Scant Scant, n.

Defn: scantness; scarcity. [r.] T. Carew.