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spar 1 (spär)
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n.
1. Nautical A wooden or metal pole, such as a mast, boom, yard, or bowsprit, used to support sails and rigging.
2. A usually metal pole used as part of a crane or derrick.
3. A main structural member in an airplane wing or a tail assembly that runs from tip to tip or from root to tip.
tr.v. sparred, spar·ring, spars
1. To supply with spars.
2. Obsolete To fasten with a bolt.

[Middle English sparre, rafter.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
spar 2 (spär)
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intr.v. sparred, spar·ring, spars
1.
a. To fight with an opponent in a short bout or practice session, as in boxing or the martial arts.
b. To make boxing or fighting motions without hitting one's opponent.
2. To bandy words about in argument; dispute.
3. To fight by striking with the feet and spurs. Used of gamecocks.
n.
1. A motion of attack or defense in boxing.
2. A sparring match.

[Middle English sparren, to thrust or strike rapidly, perhaps from obsolete French esparer, to kick, from Old Italian sparare, to fling : s-, intensive pref.; see SFORZANDO + parare, to ward off; see PARRY.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.