(also muckle ) archaic or Scottish & N. English
■ noun a large amount.
■ adjective very large.
Phrases
many a little makes a ~ (also many a ~ makes a muckle ) many small amounts accumulate to make a large amount.
Origin
OE micel 'great, numerous, much', of Gmc origin.
Usage
The forms ~ and muckle are, by origin, merely variants of the same (now dialect) word meaning ‘a large amount’. However, the alternative form of the proverb (originally a misquotation) has led to a misunderstanding that ~ means ‘a small amount’.