\Scant\, a. [Compar. {Scanter}; superl. {Scantest}.]
[Icel. skamt, neuter of skamr, skammr, short; cf. skamta to
dole out, to portion.]
1. Not full, large, or plentiful; scarcely sufficient; less
   than is wanted for the purpose; scanty; meager; not
   enough; as, a scant allowance of provisions or water; a
   scant pattern of cloth for a garment.
         His sermon was scant, in all, a quarter of an hour.
                                               --Ridley.
2. Sparing; parsimonious; chary.
         Be somewhat scanter of your maiden presence. --Shak.
Syn: See under {Scanty}.

\Scant\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Scanted}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Scanting}.]
1. To limit; to straiten; to treat illiberally; to stint; as,
   to scant one in provisions; to scant ourselves in the use
   of necessaries.
         Where a man hath a great living laid together and
         where he is scanted.                  --Bacon.
         I am scanted in the pleasure of dwelling on your
         actions.                              --Dryden.
2. To cut short; to make small, narrow, or scanty; to
   curtail. ``Scant not my cups.'' --Shak.

\Scant\, v. i.
To fail, or become less; to scantle; as, the wind scants.

\Scant\, adv.
In a scant manner; with difficulty; scarcely; hardly. [Obs.]
--Bacon.
      So weak that he was scant able to go down the stairs.
                                               --Fuller.

\Scant\, n.
Scantness; scarcity. [R.] --T. Carew.