We use the modifier of “scant” where we find that a level measurement is just a tiny bit too much for our desired taste or texture when testing recipes, but we don’t remove enough of the ingredient to change the measurement entirely. For instance, a scant tablespoon might be just the right amount, but we didn’t need to remove enough to reduce that ingredient to ¾ tablespoons. It tends to be a little more important in baking, which needs tight precision. However, we use this for cooking recipes, too — sometimes, a little less than a full measurement is the perfect amount!