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).
Phrases and idioms:
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.
Derivatives:
smallish adj. smallness n.
Etymology: OE sm{aelig}l f. Gmc