sparse

Borrowed from Latin sparsus.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /spɑːs/
• (US) IPA^(key): /spɑːɹs/

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)s

sparse (comparative sparser, superlative sparsest)

1. Having widely spaced intervals.

   a sparse array, index, or matrix

   • 2019 October, Tony Miles, Philip Sherratt, “EMR kicks off new era”, in Modern Railways, page 58:

     The Leicester to Grimsby service will become hourly throughout (with some extensions to Cleethorpes as at present), while a new hourly Peterborough to Doncaster service via Spalding, Sleaford and Lincoln will join up two routes with a sparse service at present.

2. Not dense; meager; scanty
3. (mathematics) Having few nonzero elements

• (having widely spaced intervals): spread out, thin; see also Thesaurus:diffuse
• (meager): insufficient, paltry; see also Thesaurus:inadequate

• sparge

• thin out

sparse (third-person singular simple present sparses, present participle sparsing, simple past and past participle sparsed)

1. (obsolete) To disperse, to scatter.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:disperse

   • 1536, [Richard Morison], A Remedy for Sedition, London: […] Thomae Bertheleti […], →OCLC, signature F. i.:

     They began properly to ſparſe pretye rumours in the North, that no man ſhulde eate whyte breade, no man eate pygge, gooſe, or capon, without he agreed before with the kynge.

• parses, sarpes, repass, Speras, spaers, Aspers, Serpas, spaser, Spares, prases, Spears, aspers, Arpses, Presas, presas, passer, spears, spares

• IPA^(key): /ˈspar.se/
• Rhymes: -arse
• Hyphenation: spàr‧se

sparse

1. third-person singular past historic of spargere (“to scatter; to spill”)

sparse

1. third-person singular past historic of sparire (“to disappear; to get lost”)

sparse

1. feminine plural of sparso

sparse

1. feminine plural of sparso

• pressa, spersa

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈspar.sɛ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈspar.se]

sparse

1. vocative masculine singular of sparsus

• IPA^(key): [ˈsparse]

sparse

1. third-person singular simple perfect indicative of sparge