Latin sparsus spread out, from past participle of spargere to scatter
adjective
of few and scattered elements; especially : not thickly grown or settled
meagerscantyscantskimpysparesparse mean falling short of what is normal, necessary, or desirable. meager implies the absence of elements, qualities, or numbers necessary to a thing's richness, substance, or potency. scanty stresses insufficiency in amount, quantity, or extent.