scarce
1scarce — [skeəs ǁ skers] adjective if something is scarce, there is not enough of it available: • Here, land is a scarce resource and house prices have risen sharply. • Jobs are scarce. scarcity noun [singular, uncountable] : • the present scarcity of… …
2Scarce — (sk[^a]rs), a. [Compar. {Scarcer} (sk[^a]r s[ e]r); superl. {Scarcest}.] [OE. scars, OF. escars, eschars, LL. scarpsus, excarpsus, for L. excerptus, p. p. of excerpere to pick out, and hence to contract, to shorten; ex (see {Ex }) + carpere. See… …
3Scarce — Scarce, Scarcely Scarce ly, adv. 1. With difficulty; hardly; scantly; barely; but just. [1913 Webster] With a scarce well lighted flame. Milton. [1913 Webster] The eldest scarcely five year was of age. Chaucer. [1913 Webster] Slowly she sails,… …
4scarce — scarce·ly; scarce·ment; scarce·ness; scarce; …
5scarce — ► ADJECTIVE 1) (of a resource) insufficient for the demand. 2) rarely found. ● make oneself scarce Cf. ↑make oneself scarce DERIVATIVES scarcity noun. ORIGIN O …
6scarce — [skers] adj. scarcer, scarcest [ME scars < NormFr escars (for OFr eschars) < VL * escarpsus, for L excerptus, pp. of excerpere, to pick out, select (see EXCERPT); hence, that which is picked out and therefore scarce] 1. not common; rarely… …
7scarce — (adj.) c.1300, restricted in quantity, from O.N.Fr. scars (O.Fr. eschars) from V.L. *escarpsus, from *excarpere pluck out, from L. excerpere pluck out (see EXCERPT (Cf. excerpt)). Phrase to make oneself scarce go away first attested 1809 in Gil… …
8scarce — I adjective at a premium, dear, deficient, few, inadequate, incomplete, inconsiderable, insufficient, limited, little, low, meager, minute, not abundant, not plentiful, out of the way, paltry, rare, rarus, scant, seldom met with, short, skimpy,… …
9scarce — rare, uncommon, *infrequent, occasional, sporadic Analogous words: *deficient: curtailed, abridged, shortened (see SHORTEN) Antonyms: abundant …
10scarce — [adj] insufficient, infrequent at a premium, deficient, failing, few, few and far between*, in short supply, limited, occasional, rare, scant, scanty, seldom, seldom met with, semioccasional, short, shortened, shy, sparse, sporadic, truncated,… …
