spar
Definitions
-
WordNet 3.6
- v spar fight verbally "They were sparring all night"
- v spar box lightly
- v spar fight with spurs "the gamecocks were sparring"
- v spar furnish with spars
- n spar making the motions of attack and defense with the fists and arms; a part of training for a boxer
- n spar a stout rounded pole of wood or metal used to support rigging
- n spar any of various nonmetallic minerals (calcite or feldspar) that are light in color and transparent or translucent and cleavable
- ***
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
-
- Spar A contest at sparring or boxing.
- Spar (Naut) A general term any round piece of timber used as a mast, yard, boom, or gaff.
- Spar A movement of offense or defense in boxing.
- n spar spär (Min) An old name for a nonmetallic mineral, usually cleavable and somewhat lustrous; as, calc spar, or calcite, fluor spar, etc. It was especially used in the case of the gangue minerals of a metalliferous vein.
- Spar (Arch) Formerly, a piece of timber, in a general sense; -- still applied locally to rafters.
- Spar The bar of a gate or door.
- Spar To bolt; to bar.
- Spar To contest in words; to wrangle.
- Spar To strike with the feet or spurs, as cocks do.
- Spar To To supply or equip with spars, as a vessel.
- Spar To use the fists and arms scientifically in attack or defense; to contend or combat with the fists, as for exercise or amusement; to box. "Made believe to spar at Paul with great science."
- ***
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
-
- n spar A stick or piece of wood of considerable length in proportion to its thickness; a stout pole; a large cudgel.
- n spar A bar used for fastening a gate or door, or the like; hence, a bolt.
- n spar Specifically— A round stick of timber, or a stout pole, such as those used for the masts, yards, booms, etc., of ships. and for the masts and jibs of derricks.
- n spar One of the common rafters of a roof, as distinguished from the principal rafters; also, one of the sticks used as rafters in a thatched roof.
- n spar A pole lashed to a carriage to hold it up, in place of a disabled wheel.
- spar To shut, close, or fasten with a bar or a bolt; bar; fasten in any way.
- spar To furnish with or form by the use of spars; supply a spar or spars to: as, to spar a ship or a mast.
- spar To aid (a vessel) over a shallow bar by the use of spars and tackles: a device frequently in use on the western rivers of the United States.
- n spar In mineralogy, a general term formerly employed, but rather vaguely, to include a large number of crystalline minerals having a bright but non-metallic luster, especially when breaking readily into fragments with smooth surfaces. A specific epithet is used with it in each case to designate a particular species. Calc-spar or calcareous spar (crystalline calcite), adamantine spar (corundum), heavy-spar (barite), satin-spar (gypsum), fluor-spar or Derbyshire spar (fluorite). and tabular spar (wollastonite) are common examples. The word is used as a suffix in the name feldspar. Among miners the term spar is frequently used alone to express any bright crystalline substance.
- spar To rush forward in attack; make an onset.
- spar To rise and strike with the shanks or spurs; fight, as cocks, with the spurs protected with leather pads, so that the birds cannot injure each other.
- spar To make the motions of attack and defense with the arms and closed fists; use the hands in or as if in boxing, either with or without boxing-gloves; practise boxing.
- spar To bandy words; engage in a wordy contest, either angrily or humorously.
- n spar A preliminary sparring action: a flourish of the arms and fists in putting one's self in the attitude of boxing.
- n spar A sparring-match; a contest of boxing or striking; also, a cock-fight in which the contending cocks are not permitted to do each other serious harm, or in which they have their spurs covered with stuffed leather pods, so that they cannot cut each other.
- n spar A wordy contest; a skirmish of words.
- n spar A sparoid fish; any species of Sparus. Rawlinson, Anc. Egypt.
- ***
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary
-
- n Spar spär a rafter: a general term for masts, yards, booms, and gaffs, &c
- n Spar spär a term applied by miners to any bright crystalline mineral, and adopted by mineralogists in the names of a number of minerals—calcareous spar, fluor spar, Iceland spar, &c
- v.i Spar spär to box with the hands: to fight with showy action: to dispute
- pr.p Spar spar′ring; pa.t. and pa.p. sparred
- n Spar a preliminary sparring, boxing-match, or cock-fight
- ***
Quotations
-
“You'll never find a better sparring partner than adversity.”
Etymology
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
OE. sparre,; akin to D. spar, G. sparren, OHG. sparro, Dan. & Sw. sparre, Icel. sparri,; of uncertain origin. √171. Cf. Spar (v. t.)
Usage
In literature:
Its chief peculiarities were two long poles or spars, which lay along its sides, projecting beyond the bows.
"In the Track of the Troops" by R.M. Ballantyne
Four of the spars were pretty equal in length.
"The Battery and the Boiler" by R.M. Ballantyne
The huge mass of spars and planks moved gradually away from the doomed vessel, whose deck was by that time little above the level of the sea.
"Philosopher Jack" by R.M. Ballantyne
But as for the spar, we must leave it.
"Held Fast For England" by G. A. Henty
The masts and spars were, however, still hanging by the lee rigging alongside.
"Paul Gerrard" by W.H.G. Kingston
In anticipation of such a danger, a small spar had been erected upon the stump of the mizzen, and steadied with strong stays.
"For Name and Fame" by G. A. Henty
There was but the length of a spar between us, and yet it was enough!
"Wisdom, Wit, and Pathos of Ouida" by Ouida
It caught me just a mite below the belt, and I had to spar for wind.
"Sonnie-Boy's People" by James B. Connolly
An arrowweed thicket had struggled up from a jutting spar of rock.
"Oh, You Tex!" by William Macleod Raine
The Onega Valley force, like the Railway and Kodish forces, was sparring for an opening and plans were made for a general push on Plesetskaya.
"The History of the American Expedition Fighting the Bolsheviki" by Joel R. Moore
By great good fortune I managed to seize a floating spar, and, resting on it, called aloud for Jose.
"At the Point of the Sword" by Herbert Hayens
Others of the crew clung to floating spars, and were either killed or drowned, and only one survived until succour came.
"The Shellback's Progress" by Walter Runciman
The captain stood back over the spot in the hopes of picking up some who might have clung to the spars.
"The History of Little Peter, the Ship Boy" by W.H.G. Kingston
It was fortunate that the breeze sprang up after the lull, and enabled us to carry every thing that could be crowded on our spars.
"Captain Canot" by Brantz Mayer
Then, in a blessed instant, the beam struck almost blindingly across the spar and the four human beings held up by it.
"Dave Darrin After The Mine Layers" by H. Irving Hancock
The men, led by the mates, had work enough to clear the wreck of the masts, and to get the spars stowed away.
"Taking Tales" by W.H.G. Kingston
We were the first on the spar, and making our way along it gained the rock.
"Won from the Waves" by W.H.G. Kingston
An ensign, although somewhat torn, had been washed on shore, and spars of various sizes lay on the beach.
"Owen Hartley; or, Ups and Downs" by William H. G. Kingston
When the sun began to go down towards the horizon they once more plied their palms against the liquid wave, and sculled the spar eastward.
"The Boy Slaves" by Mayne Reid
They soon found a spar, a brig's topmast.
"The Three Midshipmen" by W.H.G. Kingston
***
In poetry:
Tilting gulls whip whitely far
Over the lake,
Tirelessly on o'er buoy and spar
Till they o'ertake
Over the lake,
Tirelessly on o'er buoy and spar
Till they o'ertake
"Storm-Ebb" by Cale Young Rice
When read old Kraken: 'Christ our Guide,'
His eyes were spikes of spar:
And see the white snow-storm divide
About an icy star!
His eyes were spikes of spar:
And see the white snow-storm divide
About an icy star!
"Archduchess Anne" by George Meredith
Shadows, and winds that rise
Over the mountain;
Stars in the spar that lies
Cold in the fountain,
Pale as the quickened skies.
Over the mountain;
Stars in the spar that lies
Cold in the fountain,
Pale as the quickened skies.
"Dawn" by Madison Julius Cawein
The sea in its frenzy and fury,
When lashed by the wintry gales
Casts on the rocks its vessels
Bereft of their spars and sails;
When lashed by the wintry gales
Casts on the rocks its vessels
Bereft of their spars and sails;
"The Desirable Undefined" by Jared Barhite
Whan thay to thar master cam,
Leytell John wold not spar;
"Master, how haffe yow far yn Notynggam?
How haffe yow solde yowr war?"
Leytell John wold not spar;
"Master, how haffe yow far yn Notynggam?
How haffe yow solde yowr war?"
"Robin Hood And The Potter" by Andrew Lang
Sad Mayflower! watched by winter stars,
And nursed by winter gales,
With petals of the sleeted spars,
And leaves of frozen sails!
And nursed by winter gales,
With petals of the sleeted spars,
And leaves of frozen sails!
"The Mayflowers" by John Greenleaf Whittier
In news:
Dotcom's Lawyer, New Zealnd Police Spar Over Raid's Need.
On foreign policy, Obama, Romney spar but find few big distinctions.
Ellison and Fields Spar on KFAI.
State Senators Eric Adams, Marty Golden Spar Over Borough Park Surveillance Cameras.
The former Speaker of the House, who sparred with W. Mitt Romney during throughout the GOP's primary weighed in with Human Events about his impressions of the Oct 16 debate between Romney and President Barack Obama.
Obama, Romney Spar on Taxes.
In a rare face-to-face meeting, Republican Rep Kristi Noem and Democratic challenger Matt Varilek sparred over tax policies, health care and the congresswoman's attendance record in committees in their second debate of the campaign.
Incumbent, challenger spar on focus of debates.
Actor, Financier Spar Over Settlement at Partnership's End.
Kerrey, Fischer spar in final debate.
Spencer Tracy plays a New York cop and Joan Bennett is a waitress who serves as his sparring partner.
UN climate talks go into overtime in Qatar as rich, poor nations spar over money, other issues.
The candidates for the 79th District state House seat will spar Thursday night.
And Don't Spar With Neighbors.
Heller , Berkley spar on health care, immigration.
***
In science:
Karo ´nski, M., Łuczak, T.: The number of connected spars ely edged uniform hypergraphs.
The Order of the Giant Component of Random Hypergraphs
Thus, the channel estimation problem is equivalent to finding the spar se vector h from the above set of equations for a set of pilots.
A Unified Approach to Sparse Signal Processing
When looking at a picture through crystal of Icelandic spar (calcium carbonate, calcite) he saw two displaced images.
Angular Momentum of Electromagnetic Radiation. Fundamental physics applied to the radio domain for innovative studies of space and development of new concepts in wireless communications
McFadden, “Spars e-graph codes for quantum error correction,” IEEE Trans.
Practical Entanglement Distillation Scheme Using Recurrence Method And Quantum Low Density Parity Check Codes
Baraniuk, “Compressive domain interference cancellation,” in Structure et parcimonie pour la repr´esentation adaptative de signaux (SPARS), Saint-Malo, France, Apr. 2009. E.
A simple proof that random matrices are democratic
This entangles the flavour model with the SUSY parameters and leads to interesting predictions for the spar ticle spectrum.
Proceedings of the first workshop on Flavor Symmetries and consequences in Accelerators and Cosmology (FLASY2011)
In the remaining graph, we remove (cut) long edges to further “spar sify” the hidden solution ( ER ) and produce the instance for the next phase.
Approximation Algorithms for Semi-random Graph Partitioning Problems
Jens Sparsø, Jørgen Staunstrup, and Michael Dantzer-Sørensen.
Flysig: Dataflow Oriented Delay-Insensitive Processor for Rapid Prototyping of Signal Processing
Wainwright, “Information-theoretic bounds on spars ity recovery in the high-dimensional and noisy setting,” Symposium on Information Theory, Nice, France, June 2007. M. J.
Boolean Compressed Sensing and Noisy Group Testing
Carbonell (2012): “Structured spars e canonical correlation analysis,” in N.
Genome-wide association studies with high-dimensional phenotypes
***