sparse
adjective/spɑːs/
/spɑːrs/
(comparative sparser, superlative sparsest)
- only present in small amounts or numbers and often spread over a large area
稀少的；稀疏的；零落的 - the sparse population of the islands
那些岛上零星的人口 - Vegetation becomes sparse higher up the mountains.
山上越高的地方植物越稀少。 - The information available on the subject is sparse.
这个题目资料匮乏。
Oxford Collocations DictionarySparse is used with these nouns:- attendance
- population
- vegetation
- …
Word Originearly 18th cent. (used to describe writing in the sense ‘widely spaced’): from Latin sparsus, past participle of spargere ‘scatter’. - the sparse population of the islands