Definitions for scant
skæntscant

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:1.0 / 1 vote

1. light, scant(p), shortverb

   less than the correct or legal or full amount often deliberately so

   "a light pound"; "a scant cup of sugar"; "regularly gives short weight"

2. skimp, scantverb

   work hastily or carelessly; deal with inadequately and superficially

3. scant, skimpverb

   limit in quality or quantity

4. stint, skimp, scantverb

   supply sparingly and with restricted quantities

   "sting with the allowance"

WiktionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. scantnoun

   A block of stone sawn on two sides down to the bed level.

2. scantnoun

   A sheet of stone.

3. scantnoun

   A slightly thinner measurement of a standard wood size.

4. scantverb

   To limit in amount or share; to stint.

5. scantadjective

   very little, very few

   "After his previous escapades, Mary had scant reason to believe John."

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Scantadjective

   Etymology: from the verb.

   1. Wary; not liberal; parcimonious.

   From this time,
   Be somewhat scanter of your maiden presence. William Shakespeare.

   2. Not plentiful; scarce; less than what is proper or competent.

   White is a penurious colour, and where moisture is scant: so blue violets, and other flowers, if they be starved, turn pale and white. Francis Bacon, Natural History.

   A single violet transplant:
   The strength, the colour, and the size,
   All which before was poor and scant,
   Redoubles still and multiplies. John Donne.

   To find out that,
   In such a scant allowance of star-light,
   Would over-task the best land-pilot’s art. John Milton.

2. Scantadverb

   Scarcely; hardly.

   Etymology: from the adjective.

   The people, beside their travail, charge, and long attendance, received of the bankers scant twenty shillings for thirty. William Camden, Remains.

   We scant read in any writer, that there have been seen any people upon the south coast. George Abbot, Descript. of the World.

   A wild pamphlet, besides other malignities, would scant allow him to be a gentleman. Henry Wotton.

   O’er yonder hill does scant the dawn appear. John Gay.

3. To SCANTverb

   To limit; to straiten.

   Etymology: gescænan , Saxon, to break; skaaner, Danish, to spare.

   You think
   I will your serious and great business scant,
   For she is with me. William Shakespeare, Othello.

   They need rather to be scanted in their nourishment than replenished, to have them sweet. Francis Bacon, Nat. History.

   We might do well to think with ourselves, what time of stay we would demand, and he bade us not to scant ourselves. Francis Bacon.

   Looking on things through the wrong end of the perspective, which scants their dimensions, we neglect and contemn them. Joseph Glanvill, Sceps.

   Starve them,
   For fear the rankness of the swelling womb
   Should scant the passage and confine the room. Dryden.

   I am scanted in the pleasure of dwelling on your actions. John Dryden, Fables, Dedication.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Scant

   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

2. Scant

   sparing; parsimonious; chary

3. Scantverb

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

4. Scantverb

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

5. Scantverb

   to fail, or become less; to scantle; as, the wind scants

6. Scantadverb

   in a scant manner; with difficulty; scarcely; hardly

7. Scantnoun

   scantness; scarcity

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Scant

   skant, adj. not full or plentiful; scarcely sufficient: deficient.—n. scarcity: lack.—adv. scarcely: scantily.—v.t. and v.i. to limit: to stint: to begrudge.—adv. Scan′tily.—ns. Scan′tiness; Scan′-tity (obs.).—adv. Scant′ly, not fully or sufficiently, scarcely: narrowly: penuriously: scantily.—ns. Scant′ness, the condition or quality of being scant: smallness: insufficiency; Scant′-of-grace, a good-for-nothing fellow: a scapegrace.—adj. Scant′y, scant, not copious or full: hardly sufficient: wanting extent: narrow: small. [Ice. skamt, short, narrow, neut. of skammr, short.]

Dictionary of Nautical TermsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. scant

   A term applied to the wind when it heads a ship off, so that she will barely lay her course when the yards are very sharp up.

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. scant

   Song lyrics by scant -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by scant on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

1. • Limit
   • Work

Anagrams for scant »

1. canst

2. can'st

3. cants

4. sanct

How to pronounce scant?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say scant in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of scant in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of scant in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of scant in a Sentence

1. Michael Polak:

   I was shocked at the scant response to our original lengthy and evidence-based complaint, which was to simply refer us back to the IOC Executive Committee, the very subject of our ethical complaint.

2. Mike Pompeo:

   There’s scant evidence that these lockdowns do a whole lotta good.

3. Tim Quinlan:

   Third quarter consumer spending is on track for only a scant gain, if COVID cases keep falling and sentiment turns positive, there is scope for a more solid finish to this tumultuous year.

4. Derek Holt at Scotiabank:

   There is scant evidence to suggest that the era of exceptionally low rates of inflation with multiple episodes of deflation has ended.

5. Drew Hammill:

   Eight days after a federal judge ordered the Trump Administration to immediately begin the process of reuniting the children they put in cages back with their families, there's scant evidence that a comprehensive plan to do just that has been developed, congressional oversight of this matter has already been proven to be critical in ensuring that the Administration's constant abuses are held in check, that the law is being obeyed, and that taxpayers' resources are not being squandered.

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