spare
part of speech
adjective (spare); verb (spare, spares, spared, sparing); noun (a spare, spares)
meaning for a pupil
1) Spare means extra, kept in case it is needed, not being used now: a spare key, a spare tyre. tree →
2) Spare time is free time when you are not working. tree →
3) To spare is to give something you do not need: «can you spare a pencil?». tree →
4) To spare someone is to not hurt them, or to save them from something. tree →
5) «To spare» means left over: «we got there with ten minutes to spare». tree →
6) Spare no expense means to spend as much money as is needed, without holding back. tree →
sense in the lessons
In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: Here it means to show mercy, to hold back from punishing. It can also mean to keep from harming, as when God lets Satan test Job but spares his life, or to hold back from doing something, as in "spare not to spit". Interpretation: The Torah forbids showing pity to someone who tempts people to worship other gods. Tradition reads this as a strict warning against idolatry. In Job, tradition sees God setting limits on what evil can do. In the primary lessons: extra things beyond those needed; the left over; in everyday life: spare clothes in your bag, a spare key with a neighbour, spare batteries; in stories: the king spared the dragon's life; phrases: «spare time», «to spare», «spare room», «spare no effort»
examples
- thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him; (Torah DEU.13.8, JPS 1917) tree →
- Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare to slay the nations continually? (Prophets HAB.1.17, JPS 1917) tree →
- And the LORD said unto Satan: 'Behold, he is in thy hand; only spare his life.' (Writings JOB.2.6, JPS 1917) tree →
- They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face. (Writings JOB.30.10, JPS 1917) tree →
- He has 2 spare tyres. tree →
- Each child needs 1 pencil and 5 are spare. tree →
- Can you spare 3 apples? tree →
- How many spare seats are there? tree →
- Pack a spare pair of socks for the camp. tree →
- What do you do in your spare time? tree →
- We reached the station with five minutes to spare. tree →
- The knight spared the dragon's life. tree →
- Our neighbour keeps a spare key for us. tree →
- We don't want any expense spared. tree →
note
Spare = what is left over after use: total − used. «With 5 minutes to spare» means 5 minutes left before the time. «Spare» as a verb with «can you…» is a polite way to ask for something.
In the corpora
- Nevertheless Mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make a full end of them in the wilderness.
- Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare to slay the nations continually?
- He levelled a path for His anger; He spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;
- For jealousy is the rage of a man, and he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
- He that spareth his rod hateth his son; but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «spare» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.