scarce Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. adjective deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand
    • fresh vegetables were scarce during the drought
  2. adverb only a very short time before
    scarcely; barely; hardly; just.
    • they could barely hear the speaker
    • we hardly knew them
    • just missed being hit
    • had scarcely rung the bell when the door flew open
    • would have scarce arrived before she would have found some excuse to leave"- W.B.Yeats

WordNet

Scarce adjective
Etymology
OE. scars, OF. escars, eschars, LL. scarpsus, for L. excerptus, p. p. of excerpere to pick out, and hence to contract, to shorten; ex (see Ex-) + carpere. See Carpet, and cf. Excerp.
Wordforms
comparative Scarcer ; superlative Scarcest
Definitions
  1. Not plentiful or abundant; in small quantity in proportion to the demand; not easily to be procured; rare; uncommon.
    You tell him silver is scarcer now in England, and therefore risen one fifth in value. Locke.
    The scarcest of all is a Pescennius Niger on a medallion well preserved. Addison.
  2. Scantily supplied (with); deficient (in); -- with of. Obs. "A region scarce of prey." Milton.
  3. Sparing; frugal; parsimonious; stingy. Obs. "Too scarce ne too sparing." Chaucer. Syn. -- Rare; infrequent; deficient. See Rare.
Scarce, Scarce"ly adverb (Also<
  • Scarce
  • Scarcely
)
Definitions
  1. With difficulty; hardly; scantly; barely; but just.
    With a scarce well-lighted flame. Milton.
    The eldest scarcely five year was of age. Chaucer.
    Slowly she sails, and scarcely stems the tides. Dryden.
    He had scarcely finished, when the laborer arrived who had been sent for my ransom. W. Irwing.
  2. Frugally; penuriously. Obs. haucer.

Webster 1913