"sparring" in the noun sense
1. sparring
an argument in which the participants are trying to gain some advantage
2. spar, sparring
making the motions of attack and defense with the fists and arms a part of training for a boxer
"sparring" in the verb sense
1. spar
furnish with spars
2. spar
fight with spurs
"the gamecocks were sparring"
3. spar
box lightly
4. spar
fight verbally
"They were sparring all night"
Source: WordNet® (An amazing lexical database of English)
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