spar
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
spar1
▶noun a thick, strong pole such as is used for a mast or yard on a ship.
■ the main longitudinal beam of an aircraft wing.
– origin ME: shortening of OFr. esparre, or from ON sperra.
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
spar2
▶verb (spars, sparring, sparred)
- 1 make the motions of boxing without landing heavy blows, as a form of training.
- 2 engage in argument without marked hostility.
- 3 (of a gamecock) fight with the feet or spurs.
- 1 a period or bout of sparring.
- 2 informal a close friend.
– origin OE sperran, spyrran ‘strike out’, of unknown origin.
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
spar3
▶noun a crystalline, easily cleavable, translucent or transparent mineral.
– derivatives
sparry adjective.
sparry adjective.
– origin C16: from Mid. Low Ger.
'spar' also found in these Oxford entries:
anagram
- boom
- bowsprit
- cleat
- clove hitch
- feldspar
- fish
- fluorspar
- gaff
- Iceland spar
- jib boom
- mast
- outrigger
- rolling hitch
- satin spar
- shadow-box
- spar buoy
- spar deck
- spring
- sprit
- stick
- timber hitch
- yard
