spar

UK: /ˈspɑː^r/ US: /spɑr/ ,(spär)

Inflections of 'spar' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

spars

v 3rd person singular

sparring

v pres p

sparred

v past

sparred

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

spar¹ /spɑr/   n., v., sparred, spar•ring. 
n. [countable]

1. Nautical, Naval Terms a stout pole such as those used for masts;
   a mast.
2. Aeronautics one of the principal side parts of the framework of a wing of an airplane.

v. [~ + object]

3. Nautical, Naval Terms to provide or make with spars.

spar² /spɑr/   v. [no object] , sparred, spar•ring. 

1. Sport (of a boxer) to make the motions of attack and defense with the arms and fists, esp. as a part of training.
2. to box, esp. with light blows such as for practice.
3. to argue with words;
   dispute:
   Even before the debate began they were sparring.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

spar¹ (spär),  n., v., sparred, spar•ring. 

n. 

1. Nautical, Naval Terms a stout pole such as those used for masts, etc.;
   a mast, yard, boom, gaff, or the like.
2. Aeronautics a principal lateral member of the framework of a wing of an airplane.

v.t. 

3. Nautical, Naval Terms to provide or make with spars.

• 1250–1300; Middle English sparre (noun, nominal); cognate with German Sparren, Dutch spar, Old Norse sparri

spar′like′, adj. 

spar² (spär),  v., sparred, spar•ring, n. 

v.i. 

1. Sport (of boxers) to make the motions of attack and defense with the arms and fists, esp. as a part of training.
2. Sport to box, esp. with light blows.
3. Sport to strike or attack with the feet or spurs, as gamecocks do.
4. to bandy words;
   dispute.

n. 

5. Sport a motion of sparring.
6. Sport a boxing match.
7. a dispute.

• 1350–1400; Middle English: origin, originally, thrust (noun, nominal and verb, verbal); perh. akin to spur

spar³ (spär), n. 

1. Mineralogy any of various more or less lustrous crystalline minerals:
   fluorspar.

• 1575–85; back formation from sparstone spar, Old English spærstān gypsum; compare Middle Low German spar

spar′like′, adj. 

SPAR (spär), n. 

1. Military (during World War II) a woman enlisted in the women's reserve of the U.S. Coast Guard (disbanded in 1946).

Also, Spar. 

• Latin south, southern(emper) par(ātus) "Always ready'' the Coast Guard motto
• 1942

SpAr, 

1. Spanish Arabic.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

spar / spɑː/ noun

1. any piece of nautical gear resembling a pole and used as a mast, boom, gaff, etc
2. a principal supporting structural member of an aerofoil that runs from tip to tip or root to tip

Etymology: 13th Century: from Old Norse sperra beam; related to Old High German sparro, Old French esparre

spar / spɑː/ verb (spars, sparring, sparred)(intransitive)

1. to fight using light blows, as in training
2. to dispute or argue
3. (of gamecocks) to fight with the feet or spurs

noun

1. an unaggressive fight
2. an argument or wrangle

Etymology: Old English, perhaps from spur

spar / spɑː/ noun

1. any of various minerals, such as feldspar or calcite, that are light-coloured, microcrystalline, transparent to translucent, and easily cleavable

Etymology: 16th Century: from Middle Low German spar; related to Old English spærstān; see feldspar