Crossword Dictionary
sparse
Not dense or plentiful
Synonyms
meager, scarce, skimpy
About
Something that’s sparse is thin, not dense. If you’re looking for the perfect place to build a tree house, a sparse forest is probably not your best bet.
From the Latin sparsus, meaning “scattered,†we get the adjective sparse, which means “few and scattered.†Thinning hair is sparse, as is the population of an endangered species. Or a small and scattered crowd for an unpopular band.
Etymology
1727, from Latin sparsus "scattered," past participle of spargere "to scatter, spread, shower," from Proto-Italic *sparg-, from PIE *sp(e)rg- "to strew," extended form of root *sper- "to spread, sow" (source also of Hittite išpar- "to spread out, strew;" Greek speirein "to strew, to sow," spora "a scattering, sowing," sperma "sperm, seed," literally "that which is scattered"). The word is found earlier in English as a verb, "to scatter abroad" (16c.). Related: Sparsely; sparseness.
sparse
sparse, sparser, sparsely, sparsest - a
thinly distributed
Synonyms
exiguous, hand-to-mouth, light, meager (or meagre), niggardly, poor, scant, scanty, scarce, skimp, skimpy, slender, slim, spare, sparing, stingy
Examples
“The population of this region, however, is sparse, and its growth is slow.â€
“It is a well-wooded tract, in many places stretching out in charming glades like an English park, but it has a very sparse population and little cultivated land.â€
“The hills are inhabited by a very sparse population of Mhairs, an aboriginal race.â€
Etymology
1727, from Latin sparsus "scattered," past participle of spargere "to scatter, spread, shower," from Proto-Italic *sparg-, from PIE *sp(e)rg- "to strew," extended form of root *sper- "to spread, sow" (source also of Hittite išpar- "to spread out, strew;" Greek speirein "to strew, to sow," spora "a scattering, sowing," sperma "sperm, seed," literally "that which is scattered"). The word is found earlier in English as a verb, "to scatter abroad" (16c.). Related: Sparsely; sparseness.