verb / noun
spar
SPAR/spɑːr/
To exchange practice blows with an opponent.
The boxers spar lightly in the ring during their warm-up.
Etymology
Middle English sparren meant “strike or thrust,” later applied to practice fighting. Its deeper origin is uncertain, and the figurative use for verbal exchanges is not certainly the same word historically.
In context
a test of strength that establishes hierarchy within the herd. Males spar in measured bursts, muscles [music] straining, breaths misting in the cold air, yet rarely to fatal extremes.
More examples
- She sparred with a taller opponent during practice.
- We had a brief spar before the coach stopped us.
- The candidates spar over taxes during the debate.
Forms
spar · spars · sparred · sparring