spar
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++spar1 /spɑː $ spɑːr/ verb (sparred, sparring) [intransitive] 1 DSto practise boxing with someone 〔与某人〕练拳击spar with He broke his nose while sparring with Vega. 他和维加一起练拳击时给打断了鼻梁骨。2 ARGUEto argue with someone but not in an unpleasant way 〔友好地〕争论，争辩spar over Senators are sparring over the health bill. 参议员们就医疗保健法案进行辩论。spar with He’s been sparring with the security guards. 他在和保安人员争辩。 → sparring partner→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
spar• Foreman was cut over his right eye while sparring.• The two have sparred for months over the health bill.• Before Alan, it was just the two of them sparring over terms, a competition between two fiercely competitive players.• Right away they were sparring, wary of each other.• Bill MacCallum and Shelton have sparred with Hilderbrand for years.• He has already sparred with Michael Bates on virtually all topics.spar2 noun [countable] TTWa thick pole, especially one used on a ship to support sails or ropes 圆材〔尤用作船舶的桅杆〕 → mastExamples from the Corpus
spar• Patiently Loi and Mark set about constructing another spar.• Then a submersible pump, concealed in a sump, conveys it back up to a blockwork filter filled with Canterbury spar.• The scaffolding, explains Miss Edwards in her book, was improvised from spars and oars.• An old white gate with no middle spar, Rusty bikes and the door of a car.• A fractional rig is set on a Proctor spar with swept-back spreaders.• Strangely, one of the spars from the bed's headboard seemed to be missing.Origin spar (1500-1600) Probably from spurspar1 verbspar2 nounChinese
to someone boxing Corpus practise with
spar
spar1 /spɑː $ spɑːr/ 
verb (past tense and past participle sparred, present participle sparring) [intransitive]
spar with
He broke his nose while sparring with Vega.
2. to argue with someone but not in an unpleasant way
spar over
Senators are sparring over the health bill.
spar with
He’s been sparring with the security guards.
⇨ sparring partner
spar2 noun [countable]
a thick pole, especially one used on a ship to support sails or ropes ⇨ mast
| I |
verb (past tense and past participle sparred, present participle sparring) [intransitive] Date: 1500-1600
Origin: Probably from spur
1. to practise boxing with someoneOrigin: Probably from spur
spar with
2. to argue with someone but not in an unpleasant way
spar over
spar with
⇨ sparring partner
| II |
noun [countable]a thick pole, especially one used on a ship to support sails or ropes ⇨ mast