spar

name

1. A surname.

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree Middle Low German sparder. Old English spærstān Middle English sparston English sparstonebf. English spar From Middle Low German spar, sper (“spar”); or from a backformation of sparstone (“spar”), from Middle English sparston (“gypsum, chalk”), from Old English spærstān (“gypsum”). Related to German Sparkalk (“plaster”), Old English spæren (“of plaster, of mortar”).

1. Any of various microcrystalline minerals, of light, translucent, or transparent appearance, which are easily cleft.
2. Any crystal with readily discernible faces.

phrase

1. Initialism of signal passed at red.

verb

Etymology: From Middle English sparren (“to dart out; to strike out”), from Old English sperran, spirran, spyrran (“to strike, strike out at, spar”), related to Low German sparre (“a struggling, striving”), German sich sperren (“to struggle, resist, oppose”), Icelandic sperrast (“to kick out at, thrust, struggle”). The slang sense of friend is probably from the phrase sparring partner under the influence of the similar slang words par and star.

1. To fight, especially as practice for martial arts or hand-to-hand combat.

   “After early sparring, Spurs started to take control as the interval approached and twice came close to taking the lead. Terry blocked Rafael van der Vaart's header on the line and the same player saw his cross strike the post after Adebayor was unable to apply a touch.”

2. To strike with the feet or spurs, as cocks do.
3. To contest in words; to wrangle.