Meaning

noun any of various nonmetallic minerals (calcite or feldspar) that are light in color and transparent or translucent and cleavable

noun a stout rounded pole of wood or metal used to support rigging

noun making the motions of attack and defense with the fists and arms; a part of training for a boxer

originFrom Middle English sparren (“to dart out; to strike out”), from Old English sperran, spirran, spyrran (“to strike, strike out at, spar”), related to Low German sparre (“a struggling, striving”), German sich sperren (“to struggle, resist, oppose”), Icelandic sperrast (“to kick out at, thrust, struggle”). The slang sense of friend is probably from the phrase sparring partner under the influence of…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0