spare

1 adjective

1 ADDITIONAL spare key/bulb/battery etc a key etc that you have in addition to the ones you normally use, so that it is available if another is needed

2 AVAILABLE not being used by anyone and available to be used: Have you got any spare boxes?

3 spare time time when you are not working: What do you do in your spare time?

4 spare change coins of little value that you do not need and can give to other people: Do you have any spare change for the phone?

5 be going spare spoken if something is going spare it is available for you to have or use: I'll have some of that cake if it's going spare.

6 THIN literary tall and thin: an old man with a spare wiry frame

7 go spare BrE informal to become very angry or worried: Dad would go spare if he knew I'd stayed out all night.

2 verb (T)

1 GIVE if you can spare something, you can give it to someone because you are not using it or do not need it: I can't spare the time. | We're too busy to spare anyone to help you right now. | spare sb sth: Could you spare me -5?

2 money/time to spare if you have time, money etc to spare, there is some left in addition to what you have used or need: We had an hour to spare so we looked round the shops. | They got there with seconds to spare.

3 spare sb trouble/difficulty/pain etc to prevent someone from having to experience something difficult or unpleasant: They did what they could to spare him any pain.

4 spare a thought for to think about another person who is in a worse situation than they are: Spare a thought for Nick, who's doing his exams while we lie in the sun.

5 spare no expense to spend as much money as necessary to make something really good and not worry about the cost: Janet's parents spared no expense on her wedding.

6 spare sb the details to not tell someone all the details about something, because it is unpleasant or boring

7 NOT DAMAGE OR HARM to not damage or harm someone or something even though other people or things are being damaged, killed or destroyed: Only the children were spared.

8 spare sb's feelings to avoid doing something that would upset someone: We carefully avoided mentioning Cathy's break-up to spare her feelings.

9 spare sb's blushes BrE to avoid doing something that would embarrass someone

3 noun

1 (C) an additional thing of a particular kind that you keep so that it is available: If the fuse has gone, the spares are kept in the garage.

2 (C) a spare tyre (1)

3 spares (plural) BrE new parts for vehicles or machines