Scant (?), a. [Compar. Scanter (?); superl. Scantest.] [Icel. skamt, neuter of skamr, skammr, short; cf. skamta to dole out, to portion.]

1.

Not full, large, or plentiful; scarcely sufficient; less than is wanted for the purpose; scanty; meager; not enough; as, a scant allowance of provisions or water; a scant pattern of cloth for a garment.

His sermon was scant, in all, a quarter of an hour. Ridley.

2.

Sparing; parsimonious; chary.

Be somewhat scanter of your maiden presence. Shak.

Syn. -- See under Scanty.

 

© Webster 1913.


Scant, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Scanted; p. pr. & vb. n. Scanting.]

1.

To limit; to straiten; to treat illiberally; to stint; as, to scant one in provisions; to scant ourselves in the use of necessaries.

Where man hath a great living laid together and where he is scanted. Bacon.

I am scanted in the pleasure of dwelling on your actions. Dryden.

2.

To cut short; to make small, narrow, or scanty; to curtail.

"Scant not my cups."

Shak.

 

© Webster 1913.


Scant, v. i.

To fail, of become less; to scantle; as, the wind scants.

 

© Webster 1913.


Scant, adv.

In a scant manner; with difficulty; scarcely; hardly.

[Obs.]

Bacon.

So weak that he was scant able to go down the stairs. Fuller.

 

© Webster 1913.


Scant, n.

Scantness; scarcity.

[R.]

T. Carew.

 

© Webster 1913.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.