scant

«scant» in Mova's school dictionary: very little, hardly enough — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 1 sentence of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

adjective (scant) — formal or literary

meaning for a pupil

1) Scant means very little, hardly enough. tree →

2) Scant can mean a bit less than a stated amount, as in «a scant teaspoon» (not quite a full one). tree →

3) Having a scant in your breath means being short of breath, so you puff when you climb. tree →

sense in the lessons

In books and the formal exam voice it shows that there is not enough of something: «scant evidence», «paid scant attention». In cooking recipes «a scant cup» means slightly less than a full cup. Phrases: «scant attention», «scant regard», «scant evidence», «a scant cup».

examples

• There was scant food left after the party. tree →
• He paid scant attention to the warning signs. tree →
• The scientist said there was scant evidence for the claim. tree →
• Add a scant teaspoon of salt. tree →
• The desert gets scant rain each year. tree →
• The explorers had scant hope of rescue. tree →
• Henceforth whenever I go up a hill, I shall have a scant in my breath and a pain in my chest." tree →

note

Formal word; everyday words are «little», «hardly any», «not much». Used before uncountable nouns (scant attention, scant rain). Not «scanty» exactly: «scanty» often describes clothes that cover little. In recipes, «scant» means a little under the measure.

In the corpora

• Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable?

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «scant» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.