Both Uses of
scarcity
in
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
- Nay, their endeavour keeps in the wonted pace: but there is,
sir, an aery of children, little eyases, that cry out on the top
of question, and are most tyrannically clapped for't: these are
now the fashion; and so berattle the common stages,—so they call
them,—that many wearing rapiers are afraid of goose-quills and
dare scarce come thither.†Scene 2.2scarce = in short supply OR barely or hardly (by a small margin)
- Faith, if he be not rotten before he die,—as we have many
pocky corses now-a-days that will scarce hold the laying in,—he
will last you some eight year or nine year: a tanner will last
you nine year.†Scene 5.1 *
Definitions:
-
(1)
(scarcity) shortage (having an amount that is less than desired)
-
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
More rarely (and typically in classic literature), scarce can be short for scarcely or hardly or barely or by a small margin -- such as in "She was scarce ten years old," or "I scarce know why."