Search Result for "scarcely": 
Wordnet 3.0

ADVERB (2)

1. only a very short time before;
- Example: "they could barely hear the speaker"
- Example: "we hardly knew them"
- Example: "just missed being hit"
- Example: "had scarcely rung the bell when the door flew open"
- Example: "would have scarce arrived before she would have found some excuse to leave"- W.B.Yeats
[syn: barely, hardly, just, scarcely, scarce]

2. almost not;
- Example: "he hardly ever goes fishing"
- Example: "he was hardly more than sixteen years old"
- Example: "they scarcely ever used the emergency generator"
[syn: hardly, scarcely]



The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Scarce \Scarce\, Scarcely \Scarce"ly\, adv.
   1. With difficulty; hardly; scantly; barely; but just.
      [1913 Webster]

            With a scarce well-lighted flame.     --Milton.
      [1913 Webster]

            The eldest scarcely five year was of age. --Chaucer.
      [1913 Webster]

            Slowly she sails, and scarcely stems the tides.
                                                  --Dryden.
      [1913 Webster]

            He had scarcely finished, when the laborer arrived
            who had been sent for my ransom.      --W. Irving.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Frugally; penuriously. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
      [1913 Webster]


WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

scarcely
    adv 1: only a very short time before; "they could barely hear
           the speaker"; "we hardly knew them"; "just missed being
           hit"; "had scarcely rung the bell when the door flew
           open"; "would have scarce arrived before she would have
           found some excuse to leave"- W.B.Yeats [syn: barely,
           hardly, just, scarcely, scarce]
    2: almost not; "he hardly ever goes fishing"; "he was hardly
       more than sixteen years old"; "they scarcely ever used the
       emergency generator" [syn: hardly, scarcely]