| 释义 |
▪ I. sparing, vbl. n.|ˈspɛərɪŋ|
[f. spare v.1]
1. The action of saving, economizing, or using with frugality.
c1386Chaucer Pars. T. ⁋835 Sparyng also þat restreyneth þe delicate ease to sitte long at his mete. c1440Promp. Parv. 467/2 Sparynge, parcimonia. 1565Cooper Thesaurus s.v. Circunscribo, To limite riote within the boundes of thriftie sparyng. 1588Kyd Househ. Phil. Wks. (1901) 252 With industrie, sparing, and good husbandry [I] did much augment it. 1621T. Williamson tr. Goulart's Wise Vieillard 72 Couetousnes..knowes no meane in sparing or spending. 1640Bp. Hall Chr. Moder. (Ward) 5/1 As too much bounty is prodigality, so too much sparing is niggardliness.
attrib.1560Rolland Seven Sages 96 Put spairing dayis and thame togidder, And sa small sall ȝe tyne. 1579–80North Plutarch (1895) III. 346 There was such store of gold and silver in the sparing cofers of their treasurie.
b. Const. of (the thing spared).
1377Langl. P. Pl. B. v. 442 In speche and in sparynge of speche. 1390Gower Conf. II. 287 For sparinge of a litel cost Fulofte time a man hath lost The large cote for the hod. 1573Tusser Husb. (1878) 38 A Jack for to saw vpon fewell for fier, for sparing of firewood. 1607Dod & Cleaver Expos. Prov. xi–xii. 177 This sparing of speech, when men reserue themselues for fit occasions. 1617Moryson Itin. ii. 238 We haue vsed a great kind of sparing of the victuals in the store.
c. pl. That which is saved by economy; savings.
1628Gaule Pract. The. (1629) Ep. Ded., The Sparings of want haue euer beene held more acceptable, then the Fallings of abundance. 1647R. Stapylton Juvenal xiv. 141 First Poor little sparings, then th' insatiate thirst Of Getting. 1760Cautions & Adv. to Officers of Army 124 Here is another Deduction to be made out of your Sparings. 1866Howells Venetian Life 66 The sparings for the whole week..are spent for this evening's amusement.
2. The action of leaving unhurt or uninjured, of showing mercy or forbearance, etc.
1375Barbour Bruce viii. 483 Thai..strak on thame for⁓out sparing. 1422tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. 181 The vertue of mekenesse kepyth the mene betwene Sparynge and vengeaunce. 1490Caxton Eneydos lxii. 162 They..drewe out theyre sharpe swerdes. Thenne was there noo sparynge. c1526Plumpton Corr. (Camden) 226, I pray you be contented to give sparing to the next head Cort at Spoforth. 1585T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. iii. 110 b, [They] cast vpon the head of euery one of them three small buckets full, without sparing of their clothes. c1611Chapman Iliad v. 205 The Reason I laid down Was but the sparing of my horse. 1910Daily Chron. 22 Jan. 3/2 They appear to kill all they can, leaving the sparing to some other time.
†b. Respite, delay. Obs. rare.
a1513Fabyan Chron. vii. (1811) 344 The mayre and the cytezyns..desyred a sparynge of y⊇ lordys tyll they myght speke wt the Kynge. 1531Dial. on Laws Eng. ii. xiv. 37, I pray the gyue a lytle sparynge & procede now for this tyme to som othe[r] questyon.
▪ II. sparing, ppl. a. and adv.|ˈspɛərɪŋ|
[f. as prec.]
1. Inclined to save; exercising economy or frugality in using or spending; niggard.
pred.c1386Chaucer Melib. ⁋633 Ye schul use the richesses..in such a maner, that men holde yow not skarce ne to sparynge. c1400Rom. Rose 5363 The riche men are loved ay, And namely tho that sparand bene. c1440Alph. Tales 66 Sho was so sparand, at sho wolde giff nothyng..vnto pure folke. 1568Grafton Chron. II. 11 He was so couetous and sparing, that he woulde spende nothing more than he needes must. 1592Shakes. Ven. & Ad. 1147 It [sc. love] shall be sparing and too full of riot. 1807Crabbe Par. Reg. i. 447 The wise frugality, that..saves to live; Sparing, not pinching, mindful though not mean.
attrib.c1440Alph. Tales 245 When he was a monke, he was a passand hard man, & a sparand. 1590Shakes. Com. Err. iii. i. 27 A niggardly Host, and more sparing guest. 1601F. Godwin Bps. Eng. 94 He was a very frugal and sparing man, neuer esteeming pompe or outward brauery. 1639J. Clarke Paræmiologia 261 A sparing father, and a spending son. 1759Franklin Ess. Wks. 1840 III. 256, I most earnestly entreat you will not delay the supplies, nor deal them out with a sparing hand.
transf.1766Johnson Let. 14 Jan. in Boswell, The reasons, good or bad, which have made me such a sparing and ungrateful correspondent.
b. Observing economy or moderation, avoiding excess, in some specified respect. Const. in, of, † for, or † to (with inf.).
(a)1604E. G[rimstone] D'Acosta's Hist. Indies iv. v. 217 Nature seemes more sparing in bringing it foorth. 1665Manley Grotius' Low-C. Wars 151 The People..are very sparing in imposing and granting Subsidies. a1682Sir T. Browne Tracts (1683) 98 The Books of Scripture..are often silent, or very sparing, in the particular Names of Fishes. 1756C. Lucas Ess. Waters I. 154 The ancient Romans were very sparing in the use of wine. 1797–1805S. & Ht. Lee Canterb. T. II. 447 [She was] sparing in all she provided for herself. 1849Macaulay Hist. Eng. iii. I. 389 It was no longer necessary for the King to be sparing in the use of..his undoubted prerogative. a1862Buckle Civiliz. (1873) III. ii. 71 And they, who had the power, were not sparing in the use of it.
(b)1615Day Festivals v. 120 Giue me one that is greedy, and Covetous & to to sparing of expences. 1683D. A. Art Converse 55 Be sparing of your complements before his rivals. 1735Berkeley Free-think. in Mathem. §34 Wks. 1871 III. 320, I advise you to be more sparing of hard words. 1758Johnson Idler No. 1 ⁋7 He is now grown sparing of communication. 1824L. M. Hawkins Annaline I. 33 He is as sparing of his letters as a brewer of his malt. 1880Ruskin Bible Amiens i. (1884) 4 [One] neither wasteful of his time nor sparing of it.
(c)1656Earl of Monmouth tr. Boccalini's Advts. fr. Parnass. i. lxxv. (1674) 92 [He] was not sparing for any pains, in procuring that the Sentence might be favourable. 1690Locke Hum. Und. i. iii. §14 Those who talk so confidently of them are so sparing to tell us which they are.
2. a. Characterized by reticence or restraint in discourse or statement.
1568E. Dering (title), A sparing Restraint of many lauishe Vntruthes. 1594Shakes. Rich. III, iii. vii. 194 For reuerence to some aliue I giue a sparing limit to my Tongue. 1601W. W[atson] (title), A Sparing Discoverie of our English Jesuits. 1701Norris Ideal World i. vi. 364 A very sparing and reserved allegation of a great authority. 1901Harper's Mag. CII. 805/2 A certain sparing touch, with which he presents situation and character by mere statement of fact.
b. Marked by economy or frugality.
1611Cotgr., Taillé d'espargne, cut with sparing worke. 1748Anson's Voy. iii. iii. (ed. 4) 438 To make the most of their jerked beef, by a very sparing distribution of it.
3. Small in amount, quantity, or extent; not lavish, liberal, or profuse; scanty, limited.
1602Breton Mother's Blessing xxiii, The sparing diet is the spirits feast. 1634Sir T. Herbert Trav. 147 Mouthes rather large then sparing. 1672Grew Anat. Pl., Idea 10 The supplies from the Root being yet but slow and sparing. 1730–46Thomson Autumn 355 Be mindful of that sparing board, Which covers yours with luxury profuse. 1815J. Smith Panorama Sci. & Art II. 595 Where only the sparing use of lime is admissible, it should be used to the coping. 1857Miller Elem. Chem., Org. iii. §5. 187 The sparing solubility of chloroform in water.
b. With agent-nouns: Slight, very moderate.
1860Smiles Self-Help x. 273 Many of our most energetic and useful workers have been but sparing readers. 1883H. W. V. Stuart Egypt 230 He was a wonderfully sparing sleeper.
4. Forbearing; merciful, considerate.
c1375Sc. Leg. Saints xviii. (Egiptian) 733 To god ay lowynge be, þat..sparand Is to wrak of synful. 1605Shakes. Lucr. 1687 Let the traitor die; For sparing justice feeds iniquity. a1626Bacon (J.), Their king..was sparing and compassionate towards his subjects. 1658–9in Burton's Diary (1828) III. 329 It is easy to misconstrue the debates of this House if we be not sparing one with the other. 1786Burns Holy Fair xxi, Black Russell is na spairan: His piercin words like Highlan swords Divide the joints an' marrow.
5. As adv. Sparingly.
1623Penkethman Handf. Hon. ii. xvii, Thy gaines vse sparing. 1627Feltham Resolves ii. xxiii. Wks. (1677) 42, I will never censure any man,..but sparing, and with modesty. 1742Young Nt. Th. ii. 49 Part with it as with money, sparing. |