Scant

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ænt

Origin

From Middle English, from Old Norse skamt, neuter of skammr ("short")

Full definition of scant

Adjective

1. Very little, very few."After his previous escapades, Mary had scant reason to believe John."
2. Not full, large, or plentiful; scarcely sufficient; scanty; meager; not enough.a scant allowance of provisions or water; a scant pattern of cloth for a garment
• RidleyHis sermon was scant, in all, a quarter of an hour.
3. Sparing; parsimonious; chary.
• ShakespeareBe somewhat scanter of your maiden presence.

Synonyms

• (very little, few) few, little, slight
• (rare, scarce) geason

Antonyms

• (very little, few) ample, plenty

Derived terms

• scanty

Related terms

• scantily

Verb

1. (transitive) To limit in amount or share; to stint.to scant someone in provisions; to scant ourselves in the use of necessaries
• ShakespeareScant not my cups.
• Francis Baconwhere man hath a great living laid together and where he is scanted
• DrydenI am scanted in the pleasure of dwelling on your actions.
2. (intransitive) To fail, or become less; to scantle.The wind scants.

Noun

1. (masonry) A block of stone sawn on two sides down to the bed level.
2. (masonry) A sheet of stone.
3. (wood) A slightly thinner measurement of a standard wood size.

Adverb

1. With difficulty; scarcely; hardly.
• FullerSo weak that he was scant able to go down the stairs.

Anagrams

• canst, can'st
• cants