I. ˈsmȯl adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: Middle English smal, from Old English smæl; akin to Old High German smal small, Old Norse smali small cattle, Icelandic smalr small, Gothic smalista smallest, Latin malus bad, Greek mēlon sheep, goat, Armenian mal sheep, ram
1.
a. : slight in circumference especially as compared with length or with another similar thing
a small waist
sausage casings made from the small bowel
b. archaic : narrow in width especially as compared with length
2.
a. : having little size especially as compared with other similar things : not large or extended in dimensions, girth, or mass
a small house
small lumps of coal
the child is small for his age
b. : small in size by reason of incomplete growth : immature , young
toys for small children
small plants for bedding
c.
(1) : consisting of small pieces or units
the branches yield small wood for burning
(2) : little 1a(5)
d. of a letter : comparatively small in size, usually less angular than the corresponding capital letter, and in print usually having a body that does not extend above lower-case x height but in several letters having the overall height increased upward by an ascender or downward by a descender
3. dialect England : fine in texture or in the size of constituent particles : not coarse or heavy
a small misty rain
4.
a. : of little influence, power, or authority : of low rank : lacking high position or status
the small people who are the backbone of the nation
b. : lacking prominence in a particular sphere : minor in rank or ability : not noteworthy or great
small poets
as
(1) : being such to a limited degree : petty
small criminals
(2) : having little capital or resources : operating on a limited scale in respect to assets, employees, and volume of business
a small farmer
small manufactories
also : having or serving a small clientele
small shops
a small tradesman
5. : lacking in strength: as
a. of the voice : gentle , soft
b. : very dilute ; especially : deficient in or free from alcohol
the wine was very thin and small
6.
a. : little in a way that is objectively measurable (as in quantity, amount, value, duration, extent)
a small number
a small salary
a small distance away
waited a small space of time
b. : made up of units that are few in number, little in size, low in value, or otherwise objectively small
a small standing army
small change
7.
a. : of little consequence, weight, or importance : insignificant
a small fault
played a small role in the show
b. : lacking in prominence : humble , modest
living in a small way
from such small beginnings
c. of language : plain , simple
8. : limited or slight in degree, intensity, scope, or similar quality : less and often markedly less than is usual, expected, or fitting : trifling
had small interest in public affairs
paying small heed to his mother's warning
suffered a small mishap
9.
a. : lacking in largeness of spirit : not large-minded or generous : mean
a small and cruel revenge
a harsh small man
b. : humiliated, humbled
never felt so small in his life
Synonyms:
small , little , diminutive , wee , tiny , teeny , weeny , minute , microscopic , miniature , and petite agree in meaning noticeably below the average in magnitude, especially physical. small and little are often interchangeable, but small more frequently applies to things whose magnitude is formulated in terms of number, size, capacity, value, or significance
a small audience
a small child
a small car
small bills
a small effect upon one's life
a small reputation
or modifies words like quantity, amount, size, or capacity
a small quantity of flour
rooms of a small size
or limits intangible or generally immeasurable things
a small mind
a small personality
a small prospect of succeeding
little is usually more absolute in implication, often carrying the idea of petiteness, pettiness, or insignificance in literal or figurative size, amount, quantity, or extent
a little woman
our little ambitions
a little mind
a little man in all qualities of character
little hope of a cure
little also often signifies a small amount, a small quantity, or a small extent of (something)
a little meat
a small house and a little land
or carries a note of pathos, tenderness, or affection
a little heart-rending smile
a little adorable child
diminutive can stress not only smallness but often extreme, sometimes abnormal, smallness in comparison
peasants who have wine for their ordinary drink, are of a diminutive size — Tobias Smollett
a little black mustache and diminutive chin-beard — George Santayana
diminutive houses and furniture fit only for dolls — W.H.Mallock
these diminutive crabs are scavengers and live in holes in the mud at tide line — American Guide Series: Florida
petite applies to a proportionally small but usually pleasingly trim woman or girl
petite in stature: her height is about five feet, her weight, 112 pounds — Current Biography
a petite actress with strong box-office appeal
wee is homely or dialect for diminutive
though my own interest quickened, my wee son, then aged one-and-a-half years, grew distinctly bored — O.S.Nock
a wee drop of whiskey
tiny goes farther than diminutive in suggesting extreme littleness or smallness by comparison
in my lapel was a tiny gold lizard — Victor Canning
the poisonous ingredient which magnified will kill, but in tiny quantities will cure — B.N.Cardozo
children who squat patiently over those tiny little holes in the ground where doodlebugs are thought to live — Carson McCullers
a wee tiny voice
teeny and weeny , occurring chiefly in children's or playful or humorous use, denote the same thing as diminutive or wee; the variant forms teeny-weeny, teeny-tiny, teensy-weensy, and similar reduplications, merely emphasize diminutiveness more or are more childish or playful
a little teeny dog can make enough racket to attract neighbors' attention — English Digest
two veteran progressive-school teachers who have grown a weeny bit tired of their energetic, articulate, expressive little charges — Dwight MacDonald
a teeny-weeny little dwarf
when I was a teensy-weensy little girl
microscopic applies to or suggests what is small or insignificant enough to be observed usually only by the use of a microscope
microscopic germs
microscopic particles of dust
the mill workers who labored twelve or thirteen or fourteen hours a day for a microscopic wage — F.L.Allen
traverses rolling farm country, spans creeks, passes through microscopic settlements, and penetrates scrubby woodland — American Guide Series: Pennsylvania
minute means extremely small in an absolute sense, usually on a microscopic or near-microscopic scale
mollusks drill minute holes in the shells through which they suck the oyster — American Guide Series: Florida
the minute and steady click of Mrs. Millington's needle — Walter de la Mare
miniature applies to what is complete but built, drawn, or made on a very small scale
a miniature shower of pink petals — Harriet La Barre
the park has a swimming pool for children, a miniature waterfall, and a small powerhouse and waterwheel — American Guide Series: Michigan
the child was a miniature version of the father
II. adverb
( -er/-est )
Etymology: Middle English smale, smal, from Old English smale, from smæl, adjective
1. : in or into small-sized pieces : fine
grate small
the meat served small on toast
2. obsolete : to a slight extent or degree : very little
3. : without force or loudness : faintly , timidly
you may speak as small as you will — Shakespeare
4. : in a small way, manner, or size : in miniature
5. : contemptuously , disdainfully
think small of one's neighbors
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English smal, from smal, adjective
1. : a part that is smaller and especially narrower than the remainder or than adjacent parts
the small of the back
especially : the posterior part of a whale between the vent and the flukes of the tail
2.
a. smalls plural : small-sized products (as notions, bread, rolls, screws)
kept a good stock of smalls
b. smalls plural , chiefly Scotland : small portions : driblets
c. smalls plural , chiefly Britain
(1) : small articles of clothing (as underclothing) or household linen
(2) : smallclothes 1
d. : coal, ore, or ore-bearing rock that passes through small meshes of a specified size — usually used in plural
e. smalls plural , Britain : articles of freight under a specified weight (as 200 pounds) for carriage of which an extra charge or surtax is made
3. smalls plural , slang : responsions
•
- by small and small
IV. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English smalen, from smal, adjective
transitive verb
obsolete : to make small or less : lessen
intransitive verb
: to become small or less : diminish
the road smalls in the distance