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The collar beam of a roof; the spanpiece. Gwilt.

To scatter; to spread; to disperse. [Obs.]

birds of the family Fringilligæ, having conical bills, and feeding chiefly on seeds. Many sparrows are called also finches, and buntings. The common sparrow, or house sparrow, of Europe (Passer domesticus) is noted for its familiarity, its voracity, its attachment to its young, and its fecundity. See House sparrow, und…

Asparagus. [Colloq.] See the Note under Asparagus.

An evergreen shrub of the genus Erica (E. passerina).

Resembling spar, or consisting of spar; abounding with spar; having a confused crystalline structure; spathose. Sparry iron (Min.), siderite. See Siderite (a). -- Sparry limestone (Min.), a coarsely crystalline marble.

Thinly scattered; set or planted here and there; not being dense or close together; as, a sparse population. Carlyle.

Sparsely. [Obs.]

In a scattered or sparse manner.

The quality or state of being sparse; as, sparseness of population.

Sparsely; scatteredly; here and there.

of or pertaining to Sparta, especially to ancient Sparta; hence, hardy; undaunted; as, Spartan souls; Spartan bravey. -- n.

arcotic alkaloid extracted from the tops of the common broom (Cytisus scoparius, formerly Spartium scoparium), as a colorless oily liquid of aniline-like odor and very bitter taste.

Articles made of the blades or fiber of the Lygeum Spartum and Stipa (or Macrochloa) tenacissima, kinds of grass used in Spain and other countries for making ropes, mats, baskets, nets, and mattresses. Loudon.

An Anglo-Saxon battle-ax, or halberd. [Obs.] He hath a sparth of twenty pound of weight. Chaucer.

The hedge sparrow. [Prov. Eng.]

Sparing; parsimonious. [Obs.]

A sudden, violent, and temporary effort or emotion; as, a spasm of repentance. Cynic spasm (Med.) See under Cynic. -- Spasm of the chest. See Angina pectoris, under Angina.

Spasmodic. [Obs.]

Of or pertaining to spasm; consisting in spasm; occuring in, or characterized by, spasms; as, a spasmodic asthma.