HOW TO USE THE DICTIONARY

To look up an entry in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, use the search window above. For best results, after typing in the word, click on the “Search” button instead of using the “enter” key.

Some compound words (like bus rapid transit, dog whistle, or identity theft) don’t appear on the drop-down list when you type them in the search bar. For best results with compound words, place a quotation mark before the compound word in the search window.

guide to the dictionary

spar¹

(spär)

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.]

spar²

(spär)

intr.v. sparred, spar·ring, spars

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.

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.]

spar³

(spär)

A nonmetallic, readily cleavable, translucent or transparent light-colored mineral with a shiny luster, such as feldspar.

[Low German, from Middle Low German; akin to Old English spær- (in spær-stān, gypsum).]

SPAR also Spar

(spär)

A member of the women's reserve of the US Coast Guard, disbanded as a separate unit in 1946.

[Contraction of Latin semper parātus, always prepared, the motto of the US Coast Guard : semper, always + parātus, prepared.]

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.

American Heritage Dictionary Products

HOW TO USE THE DICTIONARY

THE USAGE PANEL

AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY APP

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY BLOG

INTERESTED IN DICTIONARIES?

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

American Heritage Dictionary Products