adj., n., & adv.
adj. 1 not large or big. 2 slender; thin. 3 not great in importance, amount, number, strength, or power. 4 not much; trifling (a small token; paid small attention). 5 insignificant; unimportant (a small matter; from small beginnings). 6 consisting of small particles (small gravel; small shot). 7 doing something on a small scale (a small farmer). 8 socially undistinguished; poor or humble. 9 petty; mean; ungenerous; paltry (a small spiteful nature). 10 young; not fully grown or developed (a small child).
n. 1 the slenderest part of something (esp. small of the back). 2 (in pl.) Brit. colloq. small items of laundry, esp. underwear.
adv. into small pieces (chop it small). feel (or look) small be humiliated; appear mean or humiliated. in a small way unambitiously; on a small scale. no small considerable; a good deal of (no small excitement about it). small arms portable firearms, esp. rifles, pistols, light machine-guns, sub-machine-guns, etc. small beer 1 a trifling matter; something unimportant. 2 weak beer. small-bore (of a firearm) with a narrow bore, in international and Olympic shooting usu. .22 inch calibre (5.6 millimetre bore). small capital a capital letter which is of the same dimensions as the lower-case letters in the same typeface minus ascenders and descenders, as THIS. small change 1 money in the form of coins as opposed to notes. 2 trivial remarks. small circle see CIRCLE. small claims court Brit. a local tribunal in which claims for small amounts can be heard and decided quickly and cheaply without legal representation. small craft a general term for small boats and fishing vessels. small fry 1 young children or the young of various species. 2 small or insignificant things or people. small hours the early hours of the morning after midnight. small intestine see INTESTINE. small letter (in printed material) a lower-case letter. small mercy a minor concession, benefit, etc. (be grateful for small mercies). small potatoes an insignificant person or thing. small print 1 printed matter in small type. 2 inconspicuous and usu. unfavourable limitations etc. in a contract. small profits and quick returns the policy of a cheap shop etc. relying on large trade. small-scale made or occurring in small amounts or to a lesser degree. small slam see SLAM(2). small-sword a light tapering thrusting-sword, esp. hist. for duelling. small talk light social conversation. small-time colloq. unimportant or petty. small-timer colloq. a small-time operator; an insignificant person. small-town relating to or characteristic of a small town; unsophisticated; provincial. small wonder not very surprising. smallish adj. smallness n.
[ OE sml f. Gmc ]