Scant (?), a. [Compar.
Scanter (?); superl. Scantest.] [Icel.
skamt, neuter of skamr, skammr, short; cf.
skamta to dole out, to portion.] 1. Not
full, large, or plentiful; scarcely sufficient; less than is wanted
for the purpose; scanty; meager; not enough; as, a scant
allowance of provisions or water; a scant pattern of cloth for
a garment.
His sermon was scant, in all, a quarter of an
hour.
Ridley.
2. Sparing; parsimonious; chary.
Be somewhat scanter of your maiden
presence.
Shak.
Syn. -- See under Scanty.
Scant, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Scanted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Scanting.] 1. To limit; to straiten; to
treat illiberally; to stint; as, to scant one in provisions; to
scant ourselves in the use of necessaries.
Where a man hath a great living laid together and where
he is scanted.
Bacon.
I am scanted in the pleasure of dwelling on your
actions.
Dryden.
2. To cut short; to make small, narrow, or
scanty; to curtail. "Scant not my cups." Shak.
Scant, v. i. To fail, or become
less; to scantle; as, the wind scants.
Scant, adv. In a scant manner; with
difficulty; scarcely; hardly. [Obs.] Bacon.
So weak that he was scant able to go down the
stairs.
Fuller.
Scant, n. Scantness;
scarcity. [R.] T. Carew.
Scant (?), a. [Compar.
Scanter (?); superl. Scantest.] [Icel.
skamt, neuter of skamr, skammr, short; cf.
skamta to dole out, to portion.] 1. Not
full, large, or plentiful; scarcely sufficient; less than is wanted
for the purpose; scanty; meager; not enough; as, a scant
allowance of provisions or water; a scant pattern of cloth for
a garment.
His sermon was scant, in all, a quarter of an
hour.
Ridley.
2. Sparing; parsimonious; chary.
Be somewhat scanter of your maiden
presence.
Shak.
Syn. -- See under Scanty.
Scant, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Scanted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Scanting.] 1. To limit; to straiten; to
treat illiberally; to stint; as, to scant one in provisions; to
scant ourselves in the use of necessaries.
Where a man hath a great living laid together and where
he is scanted.
Bacon.
I am scanted in the pleasure of dwelling on your
actions.
Dryden.
2. To cut short; to make small, narrow, or
scanty; to curtail. "Scant not my cups." Shak.
Scant, v. i. To fail, or become
less; to scantle; as, the wind scants.
Scant, adv. In a scant manner; with
difficulty; scarcely; hardly. [Obs.] Bacon.
So weak that he was scant able to go down the
stairs.
Fuller.
Scant, n. Scantness;
scarcity. [R.] T. Carew.
