scant
(skănt)
[Middle English, from Old Norse skamt neuter of skammr, short.]
adjective: scant·er, scant·est.
- Barely sufficient: paid scant attention to the lecture.
- Falling short of a specific measure: a scant cup of sugar.
- Inadequately supplied; short: We were scant of breath after the lengthy climb.
transitive verb: scant·ed, scant·ing, scants.
- To give an inadequate portion or allowance to: had to scant the older children in order to nourish the newborn.
- To limit, as in amount or share; stint: Our leisure time is scanted by this demanding job.
- To deal with or treat inadequately or neglectfully; slight.
derivatives
- scant́ly
- adverb
- scant́ness
- noun