smɔ:l 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). øfeel (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. øøsmallish adj. smallness n. [OE smól f. Gmc]
