What does scant mean?

Definitions for scant
skæntscant

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word scant.

Princeton's WordNet

  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"

Wiktionary

  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 Dictionary

  1. Scantadjective

    Etymology: from the verb.

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

    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.

ChatGPT

  1. scant

    Scant refers to a small or insufficient amount or quantity that is barely enough or falls short of what is required or expected. It can also refer to something that is inadequate, barely sufficient or lacking in a particular aspect.

Webster Dictionary

  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 Dictionary

  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 Terms

  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 Resources

  1. scant

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

Matched Categories

Anagrams for scant »

  1. canst

  2. can'st

  3. cants

  4. sanct

How to pronounce scant?

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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. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. Mike Pompeo:

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

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

scant#10000#37666#100000

Translations for scant

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"scant." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/scant>.

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    (used especially of glances) directed to one side with or as if with doubt or suspicion or envy
    A naiant
    B jejune
    C flabby
    D askant

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