1. (superl.) 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.

2. (superl.) Sparing; parsimonious; chary.

3. (v. t.) To limit; to straiten; to treat illiberally; to stint; as, to scant one in provisions; to scant ourselves in the use of necessaries.

4. (v. t.) To cut short; to make small, narrow, or scanty; to curtail.

5. (v. i.) To fail, or become less; to scantle; as, the wind scants.

6. (adv.) In a scant manner; with difficulty; scarcely; hardly.

7. (n.) Scantness; scarcity.