sparse

English

Etymology

From Latin sparsus.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /spɑːs/, X-SAMPA: /spA:s/
• (US) IPA: /spɑːɹs/, X-SAMPA: /spA:rs/

Adjective

sparse (comparative sparser, superlative sparsest)

1. Having widely spaced intervals.
2. Not dense; meager.

Related terms

• thin out

Derived terms

• sparse array
• sparse index
• sparse matrix

Translations

having widely spaced intervals

• Afrikaans: yl (af)
• Czech: řídký (cs) m
• Dutch: verspreid (nl)

• German: spärlich (de)
• Russian: редкий (ru) (rédkij)
• Spanish: disperso (es)

not dense; meager

• Afrikaans: yl (af)
• Czech: řídký (cs)
• Dutch: schaars (nl),dun (nl),mager (nl)

• German: spärlich (de), dünn (de)
• Russian: редкий (ru) (rédkij)

Verb

sparse (third-person singular simple present sparses, present participle sparsing, simple past and past participle sparsed)

1. (obsolete) To scatter; to disperse.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Spenser to this entry?)

Anagrams

• aspers
• parses
• passer
• repass
• spares
• spaser
• spears, Spears

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Italian

Verb

sparse

1. third-person singular past historic of spargere
2. third-person singular past historic of sparere

sparse f

1. Plural of sparso

Anagrams

• pressa, spersa

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Latin

Participle

sparse

1. vocative masculine singular of sparsus