Dictionary > Spar

Spar

spar
1. A general term any round piece of timber used as a mast, yard, boom, or gaff.
2. Formerly, a piece of timber, in a general sense; still applied locally to rafters.
3. The bar of a gate or door. Spar buoy, a torpedo carried on the end of a spar usually projecting from the bow of a vessel, and intended to explode upon contact with an enemy’s ships.
Origin: OE. Sparre; akin to D. Spar, G. Sparren, OHG. Sparro, Dan.& Sw. Sparre, Icel. Sparri; of uncertain origin. 171. Cf. Spar.
(Science: chemical) An old name for a nonmetallic mineral, usually cleavable and somewhat lustrous; as, calc spar, or calcite, fluor spar, etc. It was especially used in the case of the gangue minerals of a metalliferous vein. Blue spar, Cube spar, etc. See Blue, Cube, etc.
Origin: AS. Spaer in spaerstan chalkstone; akin to MHG. Spar, G. Sparkalk plaster.

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