The Prince staid not his aunswere to devize, / But, opening streight the Sparre, forth to him came […].1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
4
Nautical, Transport Any linear object used as a mast, sprit, yard, boom, pole or gaff.
5
Aeronautics, Aerospace, Business, Engineering, Natural sciences, Physical sciences A beam-like structural member that supports ribs in an aircraft wing or other airfoil.
The church dores were sparred, Fast boltyd and barryd, Yet wyth a prety gyn I fortuned to come in, […]c. 1503–1512, John Skelton, Ware the Hauke; republished in John Scattergood, editor, John Skelton: The Complete English Poems, 1983, →OCLC, page 64, lines 91–94:
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.
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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.2012 April 15, Phil McNulty, “Tottenham 1-5 Chelsea”, in BBC:
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
A sparring session; a preliminary fight, as in boxing or cock-fighting.
KLASHNEKOFF: I take two glass then pass the spliff to my spars.2002, “No Escape” (track 23), in It's All Happening Now, performed by Lewis Parker (musician), Klashnekoff, and Skriblah Dan Gogh:
'Ello clart! How are you doin' spar? Let's have a look at your mobile phone there, that's fuckin' posh, innit?[…]that's fuckin' safe, spar!2003, “Soap Bar”, in The Manifesto, performed by Goldie Looking Chain:
2 more examples
I don't care if you got friends in your car. Light up your whip and all of your spars.2009 March 17, “Next Hype” (track 3), in All-Star Pars, performed by Tempa T:
Trying to explain to my spars how it is over a spliff. Arguing, cause the media got 'em locked under their lids.2014 September 12, “September 12th”performed by S.Kalibre:
spar
noun
Etymology 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”).
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Chemistry, Geography, Geology, Mineralogy, Natural sciences, Physical sciences Any of various microcrystalline minerals, of light, translucent, or transparent appearance, which are easily cleft.