1. rare, scarce, scanty , (Herdotus Historicus); σπάνιον ἑαυτὸν παρέχειν, Lat. difficiles aditus habere, (Plato Philosophus); ὕδατι σπανίῳ χρώμενοι having a scanty supply of water, (Thucydides); with infinitive, σπ. ἰδεῖν rare to behold, (Xenophon Historicus): of persons in an adverb sense, σπάνιος ἐπιφοιτᾷ he seldom visits, (Herdotus Historicus):—; σπάνιόν ἐστι, with infinitive, it is seldom that . (Xenophon Historicus):—; τὸ σπάνιον = σπάνις, (Aeschines Orator)

2. comparative σπανιώτερος, (Herdotus Historicus): —;Sup. -ώτατος, attic

3. adverb -ίως, seldom , (Xenophon Historicus); so σπανίᾳ, (Plato Philosophus): comparative -ιώτερον, (Thucydides) (ML)