Part 613

Field sparrow, Fox sparrow, etc. See under Field, Fox, etc. -- Sparrow bill, a small nail; a castiron shoe nail; a sparable. -- Sparrow hawk. (Zoöl.) (a) A small European hawk (Accipiter nisus) or any of the allied species. (b) A small American falcon (Falco sparverius). (c) The Australian collared sparrow hawk (Accipiter torquatus). The name is applied to other small hawks, as the European kestrel and the New Zealand quail hawk. -- Sparrow owl (Zoöl.), a small owl (Glaucidium passerinum) found both in the Old World and the New. The name is also applied to other species of small owls. -- Sparrow spear (Zoöl.), the female of the reed bunting. [Prov. Eng.]

Spar"row*grass` (?), n. [Corrupted from asparagus.] Asparagus. [Colloq.] See the Note under Asparagus.

Spar"row*wort` (?), n. (Bot.) An evergreen shrub of the genus Erica (E. passerina).

Spar"ry (?), a. [From Spar.] Resembling spar, or consisting of spar; abounding with spar; having a confused crystalline structure; spathose.

Sparry iron (Min.), siderite. See Siderite (a). -- Sparry limestone (Min.), a coarsely crystalline marble.

Sparse (?), a. [Compar. Sparser (?); superl. Sparsest.] [L. sparsus, p. p. of spargere to strew, scatter. Cf. Asperse, Disperse.] 1. Thinly scattered; set or planted here and there; not being dense or close together; as, a sparse population. Carlyle.

2. (Bot.) Placed irregularly and distantly; scattered; -- applied to branches, leaves, peduncles, and the like.

Sparse, v. t. [L. sparsus, p. p. of spargere to scatter.] To scatter; to disperse. [Obs.] Spenser.

Spars"ed*ly (?), adv. Sparsely. [Obs.]

Sparse"ly, adv. In a scattered or sparse manner.

Sparse"ness, n. The quality or state of being sparse; as, sparseness of population.

||Spar"sim (?), adv. [L., fr. spargere to scatter.] Sparsely; ||scatteredly; here and there.

Spar"tan (?), a. [L. Spartanus.] Of or pertaining to Sparta, especially to ancient Sparta; hence, hardy; undaunted; as, Spartan souls; Spartan bravey. -- n. A native or inhabitant of Sparta; figuratively, a person of great courage and fortitude.

Spar"te*ine (?), n. (Chem.) A narcotic alkaloid extracted from the tops of the common broom (Cytisus scoparius, formerly Spartium scoparium), as a colorless oily liquid of aniline-like odor and very bitter taste.

Spar"ter*ie (?), n. [F., from Sp. esparto esparto, L. spartum, Gr. &?;.] Articles made of the blades or fiber of the Lygeum Spartum and Stipa (or Macrochloa) tenacissima, kinds of grass used in Spain and other countries for making ropes, mats, baskets, nets, and mattresses. Loudon.

Sparth (?), n. [Cf. Icel. spar&?;a.] An Anglo-Saxon battle-ax, or halberd. [Obs.]

He hath a sparth of twenty pound of weight.

Chaucer.

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Sparve (?), n. (Zoöl.) The hedge sparrow. [Prov. Eng.]

Spar"y (?), a. Sparing; parsimonious. [Obs.]

Spasm (?), n. [F. spasme, L. spasmus, Gr. &?;, from &?;, &?;, to draw, to cause convulsion. Cf. Span, v. t.] 1. (Med.) An involuntary and unnatural contraction of one or more muscles or muscular fibers.

Spasm are usually either clonic or tonic. In clonic spasm, the muscles or muscular fibers contract and relax alternately in very quick succession. In tonic spasm, the contraction is steady and uniform, and continues for a comparatively long time, as in tetanus.

2. A sudden, violent, and temporary effort or emotion; as, a spasm of repentance.

Cynic spasm (Med.) See under Cynic. -- Spasm of the chest. See Angina pectoris, under Angina.

Spas*mat"ic*al (?), a. Spasmodic. [Obs.]

Spas"mod"ic (?), a. [Gr. &?;; &?; a convulsion + &?; likeness: cf. F. spasmotique.] 1. (Med.) Of or pertaining to spasm; consisting in spasm; occuring in, or characterized by, spasms; as, a spasmodic asthma.

2. Soon relaxed or exhausted; convulsive; intermittent; as, spasmodic zeal or industry.