Nautical. a stout pole such as those used for masts, etc.; a mast, yard, boom, gaff, or the like.
Aeronautics. a principal lateral member of the framework of a wing of an airplane.
(of boxers) to make the motions of attack and defense with the arms and fists, especially as a part of training.
to box, especially with light blows.
to strike or attack with the feet or spurs, as gamecocks do.
to bandy words; dispute.
a motion of sparring.
a boxing match.
a dispute.
boxing martial arts to fight using light blows, as in training
to dispute or argue
(of gamecocks) to fight with the feet or spurs
an unaggressive fight
an argument or wrangle
informal a close friend
any piece of nautical gear resembling a pole and used as a mast, boom, gaff, etc
( as modifier )
a spar buoy
a principal supporting structural member of an aerofoil that runs from tip to tip or root to tip
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English spar(r)e, sperre, sper “a board, rafter, beam”; cognate with German Sparren, Dutch, Frisian spar, Old Norse sparri
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English spar(r)en “to go quickly, rush, dart, thrust”; further origin unknown
First recorded in 1575–85; from Middle Low German spar, sper; akin to Old English spær(stān) “gypsum, chalk”
1942; < Latin S ( emper ) par ( ātus ) “Always ready” the Coast Guard motto
If you spar with someone, you exchange light blows — either literally by punching each other, or figuratively by exchanging verbal blows. If you box, you might spar with an opponent at the gym while you're training. You don't strike too hard — it’s just practice. Similarly, if you spar with words, you typically do it playfully and without anger. You might repeatedly spar with your mom about who makes the best meatloaf, but it’s all in good fun. Spar is also the name of a rigging pole, as well as of some light minerals like calcite, that you can cut through.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
HiPP urged parents not to feed their children with any baby food jars that had been purchased in Spar stores.
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
The retail side of the Henderson Group was set up in 1897 and has brands like Spar and Vivo.
From BBC • Jul. 16, 2025
Mr Spar alleged the changes are "cheating" kids who "deserve the full truth of American history, the good and the bad".
From BBC • Jul. 20, 2023
Liam Ardern, the operations manager for Lawrence Hunt, which owns 23 Spar convenience stores that use Facewatch, estimates the technology has saved the company more than £50,000 since 2020.
From New York Times • Jun. 28, 2023
R2D2: The amusing, short robot in the original Spar Wars.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
