micro

English Online Dictionary. What means micro‎? What does micro mean?

English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek μικρός (mikrós, “small”), or shortened form for modern words formed from its derivative micro-.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈmaɪ.kɹoʊ/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈmaɪ.kɹəʊ/

Adjective

micro (comparative more micro, superlative most micro)

1. Small, relatively small; used to contrast levels of the noun modified.

Antonyms

• macro

Derived terms

See also micro-

Noun

micro (countable and uncountable, plural micros)

1. (colloquial) Clipping of microwave oven.

2. (colloquial, economics, uncountable) Clipping of microeconomics.
3. (computing, dated, countable) short form of microcomputer
   • 1986, Rachael Smith, Bomb Jack (video game review) in Your Sinclair issue 5, May 1986

     So what sort of hero is this bounding, bomb collecting midget? The answer is an arcade hero - and now he's let loose in your micro courtesy of conversion kings, Elite.

4. (gaming, slang, uncountable) micromanagement
5. (fetishism) A very small person, in the context of microphilia or macrophilia.

Derived terms

• (microcomputer): micromania

Verb

micro (third-person singular simple present micros or microes, present participle microing, simple past and past participle microed)

1. (gaming, slang) to micromanage

See also

• micro org

Anagrams

• Romic, cormi, crimo, moric

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mi.kʁo/

Noun

micro m (plural micros)

1. mic (“microphone”); Clipping of microphone.
2. micro (“microcomputer”); Clipping of micro-ordinateur.
3. (obsolete) microscope; Clipping of microscope.

Further reading

• “micro”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmikɾo/ [ˈmi.kɾo]
• Rhymes: -ikɾo
• Syllabification: mi‧cro

Etymology 1

Short for microbús.

Noun

micro m (plural micros)

1. (Mexico) minibus

   Synonyms: microbús, minibús, pesero, combi
2. (Argentina) public bus

   Synonyms: ómnibus, colectivo

Noun

micro f (plural micros)

1. (Chile) public bus

Usage notes

• micro in Argentina is a masculine word, and in Chile it is a feminine word.

Etymology 2

Short for microondas.

Noun

micro m (plural micros)

1. (Spain) microwave

Etymology 3

Short for micrófono.

Noun

micro m (plural micros)

1. (Spain) mic, microphone

Further reading

• “micro”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.7, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2023 November 28