Spark"li*ness (?), n. Vivacity. [Obs.] Aubrey.
Spar"kling (?), a. Emitting sparks; glittering; flashing; brilliant;
lively; as, sparkling wine; sparkling eyes. -- Spar"kling*ly, adv. --
Spar"kling*ness, n.
Syn. -- Brilliant; shining. See Shining.
Spar"ling (?), n. [Akin to G. spierling, spiering, D. spiering: cf. F.
éperlan.] (Zoöl.) (a) The European smelt (Osmerus eperlanus). (b) A
young salmon. (c) A tern. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.]
Spar"lyre` (?), n. [AS. spear- lira.] The calf of the leg. [Obs.]
Wyclif (Deut. xxviii. 35).
Spa"roid (?; 277), a. [L. sparus the gilthead + -oid: cf. F. sparoïde.]
(Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the Sparidæ, a family of spinous-finned
fishes which includes the scup, sheepshead, and sea bream. -- n. One of
the Sparidæ.
Spar"piece` (?), n. (Arch.) The collar beam of a roof; the spanpiece.
Gwilt.
Spar"poil (?), v. t. [See Sparble.] To scatter; to spread; to disperse.
[Obs.]
Spar"row (?), n. [OE. sparwe, AS. spearwa; akin to OHG. sparo, G.
sperling, Icel. spörr, Dan. spurv, spurre, Sw. sparf, Goth. sparwa; --
originally, probably, the quiverer or flutterer, and akin to E. spurn.
See Spurn, and cf. Spavin.] 1. (Zoöl.) One of many species of small
singing birds of the family Fringilligæ, having conical bills, and
feeding chiefly on seeds. Many sparrows are called also finches, and
buntings. The common sparrow, or house sparrow, of Europe (Passer
domesticus) is noted for its familiarity, its voracity, its attachment
to its young, and its fecundity. See House sparrow, under House.
The following American species are well known; the chipping sparrow, or
chippy, the sage sparrow, the savanna sparrow, the song sparrow, the
tree sparrow, and the white-throated sparrow (see Peabody bird). See
these terms under Sage, Savanna, etc.
2. (Zoöl.) Any one of several small singing birds somewhat resembling
the true sparrows in form or habits, as the European hedge sparrow. See
under Hedge.
He that doth the ravens feed, Yea, providently caters for the
sparrow, Be comfort to my age!
Shak.
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.