| 释义 |
▪ I. sparse, a. (adv.)|spɑːs|
[ad. L. spars-us, pa. pple. of spargĕre to scatter. Cf. It. sparso, Pg. esparso, OF. espars(e, F. épars(e.]
1. Sc. Of writing: Having wide spaces between the words; widely spaced or spread out.
1727Wodrow Corr. (1843) III. 288 These were produced on Tuesday the 18th, and are four or five sheets of sparse write, yet not so long as I expected. 1785J. Beattie Scoticisms (1787) 85 The writing is sparse.—Loose. Not close. Takes up too much room. 1800Monthly Mag. IX. 237 When much space is occupied by few words, the Scotch, especially the lawyers, say, ‘the writing is sparse’. 1825Jamieson Suppl., ‘Sparse writing’ is wide open writing, occupying a large space.
2. Separated by fairly wide intervals or spaces; thinly dispersed, distributed, or scattered; placed, set, etc., here and there over a relatively extensive area; not crowded, close, or dense.
In some instances passing into the sense of ‘scanty, few, meagre’.
a. Bot. = scattered ppl. a. 4 a.
Also (in recent Dicts.) Zool. of spots, markings, etc.
1753Chambers' Cycl. Suppl. s.v. Leaf, Sparse Leaves, those which are placed irregularly over the several parts of the plant. c1789Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3) III. 443 The Situation of the Parts of a Plant is..Sparse, placed without any certain order. 1866Treas. Bot. 1076/2 Sparse, scattered, irregularly distributed.
b. Of population, an assembly, etc., or of persons composing this.
In this sense orig. U.S., and commented upon as an Americanism in the Penny Cycl. (1833) I. 449/1.
(a)1828–32Webster s.v., A sparse population. 1841Emerson Ess., History Wks. (Bohn) I. 10 A sparse population and want make every man his own valet, cook, butcher, and soldier. 1863Reade Hard Cash v, Next day she was at evening church: the congregation was very sparse. 1870Lubbock Orig. Civiliz. App. 345 It is my belief that the great continents were already occupied by a wide-spread though sparse population.
(b)1850N. & Q. 1st Ser. I. 215/1 A sparse and hardy race of horsemen. 1879Browning Halbert & Hob 11 Thus were they found by the few sparse folk of the country-side. 1890Spectator 21 June, There are..kingdoms where the inhabitants are as ‘sparse’ as the Maories were when the first ship-captain landed in New Zealand.
c. Of things.
1861J. H. Bennet Shores of Medit. i. i. (1875) 20 [The] Olive-tree..is often as large as a fine old oak, but with fewer limbs and a more sparse foliage. 1864Browning Dram. Pers., Gold Hair iii, Smiles might be sparse on her cheek so spare. 1875M. E. Braddon Strange World i, A man with sparse grey hair. 1884Fortn. Rev. Jan. 23 Such efforts as have been made in this direction are sparse.
3. a. Characterized by wide distribution or intervals.
1801Jefferson Writ. (1830) III. 462 The great extent of our republic is new. Its sparse habitation is new. 1861Press Newsp. IX. 889/2 It was composed of matter so amazingly sparse, that the whole substance of a comet could be compressed into a single square inch of earthy matter. 1863M. Howitt F. Bremer's Greece I. iv. 102 Nearly the whole of our way lay through sparse olive-woods. 1872Howells Wedding Journ. (1892) 288 The village..grows sparser as you draw near the Falls.
b. Thinly occupied or populated.
1851Nichol Archit. Heav. 267 Situated exclusively within that sparse district,..they composed but a few even of the orbs which are scattered there.
c. Characterized by sparseness or scantiness.
1871Echo 23 Jan., The average German uniform is less showy than the British on account of the sparser use of gold lace. 1889Spectator 14 Dec. 850 The gleaning has been somewhat sparse.
4. In adverbial use: Sparsely. Also Comb.
1725Armstrong Imit. Shaks. & Spenser Misc. 1770 I. 150 The bleak puffing winds, that seem to spit Their foam sparse thro' the welkin. 1870J. R. Lowell in Atlantic Monthly Jan. 8 And thrust far off The Heaven..To voids sparse-sown with alienated stars. 1872Blackie Lays Highl. 162 Through the lone sparse-peopled glen. 1883Stevenson Silverado Sq. (1886) 38 A lawn, sparse planted like an orchard. 1923D. H. Lawrence Birds, Beasts, & Flowers 172 What would they do, those..sparse-haired elephants slowly following? 1924J. Masefield Sard Harker iii. 201 He held on across the foothills through the sparse-growing sage.
▪ II. † sparse, v. Obs.
Also 6 sparce.
[f. L. spars-, ppl. stem of spargĕre to scatter, sprinkle, strew, etc. Cf. prec. and OF. esparser, -cer, MDu. sparsen, spaersen (WFlem. spaarzen). See also sperse v.]
1. absol. To distribute or scatter abroad in giving.
1535Coverdale Ps. cxi. 9 He hath sparsed abrode, & geuen to the poore. [So in later versions, commentaries, etc.] 1612T. Taylor Comm. Titus i. 8 Hereby thou art like God, he sparseth abroad, he vnweariably giveth good, to good and bad. 1614T. Adams in Spurgeon Treas. Dav. VII. 23 Sparse abroad with a full hand, like a seedsman in a broad field.
2. trans. To spread or disseminate (a rumour, doctrine, etc.). Freq. with abroad.
(a)1536Rem. Sedition F j, They began properly to sparse pretye rumours in the North. a1572Knox Hist. Ref. Wks. 1846 I. 119 Sparsing a false bruyt, ‘That the said Johnne..had broken his awin craig’. 1651Calderwood Hist. Kirk (1843) II. 17 Diversitie of rumors which Satan sparseth against us.
(b)1548Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Acts vi. 27 The doctrine of Christes Gospel was sparsed euery daye further abrode. 1585Fleetwood in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. i. II. 298 For sparcinge abrood certen lewed, sedicious, and traytorous bookes. 1606Hieron Wks. I. 47 Dangerous and infectious bookes, which..are sparsed abroad into all parts.
3. To break up, scatter, send in all directions.
1549–62Sternhold & H. Ps. xliv. 10 Our enemies robb'd and spoyld our goods, While we were sparst abroad. 1600Fairfax Tasso v. lxxxviii, That many Christians haue they falsly slaine, And like a raging flood they sparsed ar. c1611Chapman Iliad xi. 268 When the hollow flood of aire, in Zephyres cheeks doth swell, And sparseth all the gatherd clouds, white Notus power did draw.
b. To dispose, sprinkle, throw, etc., in a scattered manner. Const. into or upon (something).
c1550H. Lloyd Treas. Health P v, Ashes made of a dogges head sparsyd vpon y⊇ holownes of the breste. 1614Gorges Lucan ii. 78 To set free the bay againe, And sparse these workes into the maine.
c. To distribute, place, etc., here and there or dispersedly in a book or writing. Chiefly in pa. pple. Also without const.
1608Parke Fal Babel B 2 b, I would not heape vp al I could saie at once, but sparse and let them fall here some and there some, the better to profit. 1608H. Clapham Errour Left Hand A iv b, With diuers of the heades sparsed in my Bibles briefe. 1631R. Byfield Doctr. Sabb. 118 This hath been anciently taught, and still is sparsed in the writings of the..learned. 1657J. Watts Vind. Ch. Eng. 42 Though sparsed up and down in your Sheets. |