scarce

[skairs] /skɛərs/
adjective, scarcer, scarcest.
1.
insufficient to satisfy the need or demand; not abundant:
Meat and butter were scarce during the war.
2.
seldom met with; rare:
a scarce book.
adverb
3.
scarcely.
Idioms
4.
make oneself scarce, Informal.
  1. to depart, especially suddenly.
  2. to stay away; avoid.
Origin
1250-1300; Middle English scars < Old North French (e)scars < Vulgar Latin *excarpsus plucked out, for Latin excerptus; see excerpt
Related forms
scarceness, noun
unscarce, adjective
unscarcely, adverb
unscarceness, noun
Can be confused
extinct, rare, scarce.
Synonyms
1. deficient. 2. uncommon, infrequent.
Antonyms
1. abundant.
British Dictionary definitions for make oneself scarce

scarce

/skɛəs/
adjective
1.
rarely encountered
2.
insufficient to meet the demand
3.
(informal) make oneself scarce, to go away, esp suddenly
adverb
4.
(archaic or literary) scarcely
Derived Forms
scarceness, noun
Word Origin
C13: from Old Norman French scars, from Vulgar Latin excarpsus (unattested) plucked out, from Latin excerpere to select; see excerpt
Word Origin and History for make oneself scarce

scarce

adj.

c.1300, "restricted in quantity," from Old North French scars "scanty, scarce" (Old French eschars, Modern French échars) from Vulgar Latin *scarsus, from *escarpsus, from *excarpere "pluck out," from classical Latin excerpere "pluck out" (see excerpt). As an adverb early 14c. from the adjective. Phrase to make oneself scarce "go away" first attested 1771, noted as a current "cant phrase." Related: Scarcely.

Slang definitions & phrases for make oneself scarce

make oneself scarce

verb phrase

To depart, esp hastily and under threat; bug out, skedaddle: Yonder comes the law; we better make ourselves scarce (1749+)


Idioms and Phrases with make oneself scarce

make oneself scarce

Depart quickly, go away, as in The children saw Mrs. Frost coming and made themselves scarce. This idiom applies scarce in the sense of “seldom seen” to removing one's presence. [ c. 1800 ]

scarce

In addition to the idiom beginning with scarce also see: make oneself scarce