King James Bible Dictionary

SCANT, verb transitive

To limit; to straiten; as, to scant one in provisions; to scant ourselves in the use of necessaries; to scant a garment in cloth.

I am scanted in the pleasure of dwelling on your actions.

SCANT, verb intransitive To fail or become less; as, the wind scants.

SCANT, adjective

1. Not full, large or plentiful; scarcely sufficient; rather less than is wanted for the purpose; as a scant allowance of provisions or water; a scant pattern of cloth for a garment.

2. Sparing; parsimonious; cautiously affording.

Be somewhat scanter of your maiden presence. [Not in use.]

3. Not fair, free or favorable for a ship's course; as a scant wind.

SCANT, adverb Scarcely; hardly; not quite.

The people - received of the bankers scant twenty shillings for thirty. [Obsolete or vulgar.]

SCANT'ILY, adverb [from scanty.]

1. Not fully; not plentifully. the troops were scantily supplied with flour.

2. Sparingly; niggardly; as, to speak scantily of one. [Unusual.]

SCANT'INESS, noun

1. Narrowness; want of space or compass; as the scantiness of our heroic verse.

2. Want of amplitude, greatness or abundance; limited extent.

Alexander was much troubled at the scantiness of nature itself.

3. Want of fullness; want of sufficiency; as the scantiness of supplies.

SCANT'LE, verb transitive To be deficient; to fail.

SCANT'LE, verb intransitive To divide into thin or small pieces; to shiver.

SCANT'LET, noun [See Scantling.] A small pattern; a small quantity. [Not in use.]

SCANT'LING, noun

1. A pattern; a quantity cut for a particular purpose.

2. A small quantity; as a scantling of wit.

3. A certain proportion or quantity.

4. In the United States, timber sawed or cut into pieces of a small size, as for studs, rails, etc. This seems to be allied to the Latin scandula, and it is the sense in which I have ever heard it used in this country.

5. In seamen's language, the dimensions of a piece of timber, with regard to its breadth and thickness.

SCANT'LING, adjective Not plentiful; small. [Not in use.]

SCANT'LY, adverb

1. Scarcely; hardly. obsolete

2. Not fully or sufficiently; narrowly; penuriously; without amplitude.

SCANT'NESS, noun [from scant.] Narrowness; smallness; as the scantness of our capacities.

SCANT'Y, adjective [from scant, and having the same signification.]

1. Narrow; small; wanting amplitude or extent.

His dominions were very narrow and scanty

Now scantier limits the proud arch confine.

2. Poor; not copious or full; not ample; hardly sufficient; as a scanty language; a scanty supply of words; a scantly supply of bread.

3. Sparing; niggardly; parsimonious.

In illustrating a point of difficulty, be not too scanty of words.