spare

Spare is a versatile word in English with multiple related but distinct senses. As an adjective, spare describes something kept for future use or available in addition to what is strictly needed. It can also describe a lean, modest, or unadorned appearance, as in a spare room or a spare meal; the term often contrasts with full or luxurious.

As a noun, spare usually refers to an extra item kept for replacement or emergency, such as a spare tire, spare key, or spare parts. The noun sense extends to bowling, where a spare occurs when a player knocks down all pins with two rolls within a frame.

As a verb, spare means to give relief from hardship or to refrain from harming or using something. To spare someone’s life is to allow them to live; to spare expenses is to avoid or minimize spending; to spare time is to allot or allocate time.

In culture and media, Spare appears as a title in various works, most notably as Prince Harry’s 2023 memoir Spare, which describes his life in the British royal family. The term also appears in other artistic, literary, and commercial contexts where it signals an extra or reserve.

Common phrases include spare parts, spare time, spare change, and spare tire, illustrating the word’s core notion of reserve, replacement, or economy of resources.