Spar , n.
1. A contest at sparring or boxing.
2. A movement of offense or defense in boxing.
Spar , v. i. [imp. & p. p. Sparred (?);
p. pr. & vb. n.
Sparring.]
[Of uncertain origin; cf. OF. esparer to kick, F. éparer, or Icel. sperra
to stretch out the legs, to
struggle.] 1. To strike with the feet
or spurs, as cocks do.
2. To use the fists
and arms scientifically in attack or defense; to contend or combat with the fists, as for exercise or amusement; to box.
Made believe to spar at Paul with
great science.
Dickens. 3. To contest in
words; to wrangle.
[Colloq.]
Spar , v. t. [OE. sparren, AS.
sparrian; akin to G. sperren, Icel. sperra; from the noun. √171. See Spara
beam, bar.]
1. To bolt;
to bar. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
2. To To supply or
equip with spars, as a vessel.
&fist; A vessel equipped with spars that are too large
or too small is said
to be oversparred or undersparred.
Spar , n. [OE.
sparre; akin to D. spar, G.
sparren, OHG. sparro, Dan.& Sw.
sparre, Icel. sparri; of uncertain origin. &?; 171.
Cf. Spar, v. t. ]
1. (Naut.) A general term any round piece of timber used as a mast, yard, boom, or
gaff.
2. (Arch.) Formerly, a piece of timber, in a general sense; -- still applied locally to rafters.
3. The bar of a gate or door. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Spar buoy (Naut.),
a buoy anchored by one end so that the other end rises above the surface of the water. -- Spar deck (Naut.),
the upper deck of a vessel; especially, in a frigate,
the deck which is continued in a straight line from the
quarter-deck to the forecastle, and on which spare spars are usually placed. See under Deck. -- Spar torpedo (Naut.), a
torpedo carried on the end of a spar usually projecting from the bow
of a vessel,
and intended to explode upon contact with an enemy's ships.
Spar (?), n. [AS. spær in spærstān chalkstone; akin to MHG. spar, G. sparkalk plaster.]
(Min.) An old name for a nonmetallic mineral,
usually cleavable and somewhat lustrous; as, calc spar, or calcite, fluor spar, etc. It was especially used in the case of the gangue minerals of a metalliferous vein.
Blue spar, Cube spar, etc. See under Blue, Cube, etc.
Hear it pronounced