v. t. [ OF. escanteler, eschanteler, to break into contles; pref. es- (L. ex) + cantel, chantel, corner, side, piece. Confused with E. scant. See Cantle. ] To scant; to be niggard of; to divide into small pieces; to cut short or down. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

All their pay
Must your discretion scantle; keep it back. J. Webster. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ Dim. of scant, v. ] To be deficient; to fail. [ Obs. ] Drayton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. eschantelet corner. ] A small pattern; a small quantity. [ Obs. ] Sir M. Hale. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. eschantillon, F. échantillon, a sample, pattern, example. In some senses confused with scant insufficient. See Scantle, v. t. ] 1. A fragment; a bit; a little piece. Specifically: (a) A piece or quantity cut for a special purpose; a sample. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Such as exceed not this scantling; -- to be solace to the sovereign and harmless to the people. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

A pretty scantling of his knowledge may taken by his deferring to be baptized so many years. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

(b) A small quantity; a little bit; not much. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Reducing them to narrow scantlings. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A piece of timber sawed or cut of a small size, as for studs, rails, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The dimensions of a piece of timber with regard to its breadth and thickness; hence, the measure or dimensions of anything. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A rough draught; a rude sketch or outline. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A frame for casks to lie upon; a trestle. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Scant, a. ] Not plentiful; small; scanty. [ Obs. ] Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. 1. In a scant manner; not fully or sufficiently; narrowly; penuriously. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Scarcely; hardly; barely. [ 1913 Webster ]

Scantly they durst their feeble eyes dispread
Upon that town. Fairfax. [ 1913 Webster ]

We hold a tourney here to-morrow morn,
And there is scantly time for half the work. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]