small

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

English

Etymology

From Middle English smal, from Old English smæl (“small, narrow, slender”), from Proto-Germanic *smalaz (“small”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mal-, *(s)mel- (“small, mean, malicious”). Cognate with Scots smal; sma (“small”); West Frisian smel (“narrow”); Dutch smal (“narrow”); German schmal (“narrow, small”); Low German small (“narrow”); Danish, Norwegian, Swedish smal (“narrow; thin; slender”); Latin malus (“bad”); Russian ма́лый (mályj, “small”).

Pronunciation

• (UK)
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /smɔːl/ [smoːɫ]
• • Rhymes: -ɔːl
• (US)
  • (General American) IPA^(key): /smɔl/
  • (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /smɑl/
• (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /smoːl/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): [smɔːɫ]

Adjective

small (comparative smaller, superlative smallest)

1. Not large or big; insignificant; few in number.

   Synonyms: little, microscopic, minuscule, minute, tiny; see also Thesaurus:small

   Antonyms: big, (said of an amount of something given) generous, large; see also Thesaurus:large

   1. Humiliated or insignificant.

      The bullies had succeeded in making him feel small.
   2. Having a small penis, muscles, or other important body parts, regardless of overall body size.

      Synonyms: little, under-endowed (of genitals)

2. (figuratively, not comparable) Young, as a child.

   Synonyms: little, (Scottish) wee, young

   Antonyms: adult, grown-up, old

3. (writing, not comparable) Minuscule or lowercase, referring to written or printed letters.

   Synonyms: lowercase, minuscule

   Antonyms: big, capital, majuscule, uppercase
4. Evincing little worth or ability; not large-minded; paltry; mean.
5. Not prolonged in duration; not extended in time; short.

6. Synonym of little (“of an industry or institution(s) therein: operating on a small scale, unlike larger counterparts”)

   small science

7. (archaic) Slender, gracefully slim.
8. (especially clothing, food or drink) That is small (the manufactured size).

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

small (comparative smaller, superlative smallest)

1. In a small fashion

2. In or into small pieces.
   • 2009, Ingrid Hoffman, CBS Early Morning for September 28, 2009 (transcription)

     That's going to go in there. We've got some chives small chopped as well.

3. (obsolete) To a small extent.
4. (obsolete) In a low tone; softly.

Derived terms

• writ small

Noun

small (countable and uncountable, plural smalls) (nominalized)

1. (uncountable, especially clothing, food or drink) One of several common sizes to which an item may be manufactured.

   Synonym: S

2. (countable, especially clothing, food or drink) An item labelled or denoted as being that size.

3. (countable, especially with respect to clothing) One who fits an item of that size.
4. (countable, rare) Any part of something that is smaller or slimmer than the rest, now usually with anatomical reference to the back.

Derived terms

• small of the back

Verb

small (third-person singular simple present smalls, present participle smalling, simple past and past participle smalled)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To make little or less.
2. (intransitive) To become small; to dwindle.

Anagrams

• malls

Icelandic

Verb

small (strong)

1. first-person singular past indicative of smella
2. third-person singular past indicative of smella

Low German

Etymology

From Middle Low German smal, from Old Saxon smal, from Proto-Germanic *smalaz. Cognate with German schmal, Dutch smal, English small.

Adjective

small (comparative smaller, superlative smallst)

1. narrow
2. small, slender

Declension

Middle English

Adjective

small

1. Alternative form of smal

Norwegian Bokmål

Verb

small

1. (non-standard since 2005) past tense of smelle

Norwegian Nynorsk

Verb

small

1. past tense of smella

Swedish

Verb

small

1. past indicative of smälla

Anagrams

• malls

Yola

Adjective

small

1. Alternative form of smaale
   • GLOSSARY OF THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY:

     A small neal.

References

• Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 58