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sparse

adjective

  1. occurring at widely spaced intervals, not dense
L309450 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /spɑːs/ / /spɑːɹs/

adj

Etymology: Etymology tree Latin sparsusbor. English sparse Borrowed from Latin sparsus.

  1. Having widely spaced intervals.

    “a sparse array, index, or matrix”

    “The Leicester to Grimsby service will become hourly throughout (with some extensions to Cleethorpes as at present), while a new hourly Peterborough to Doncaster service via Spalding, Sleaford and Lincoln will join up two routes with a sparse service at present.”

  2. Not dense; meager; scanty
  3. Having few nonzero elements

verb

Etymology: Etymology tree Latin sparsusbor. English sparse Borrowed from Latin sparsus.

  1. To disperse, to scatter.

    “They began properly to ſparſe pretye rumours in the North, that no man ſhulde eate whyte breade, no man eate pygge, gooſe, or capon, without he agreed before with the kynge.”