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small

EnglishEdit

 
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PronunciationEdit

EtymologyEdit

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”); Danish, Norwegian, Swedish smal (“narrow; thin; slender”); Latin malus (“bad”); Russian ма́лый (mályj, “small”).

AdjectiveEdit

small (comparative smaller, superlative smallest)

  1. Not large or big; insignificant; few in number.
    • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 5, in The Mirror and the Lamp:
      Here, in the transept and choir, where the service was being held, one was conscious every moment of an increasing brightness; colours glowing vividly beneath the circular chandeliers, and the rows of small lights on the choristers' desks flashed and sparkled in front of the boys' faces, deep linen collars, and red neckbands.
    • 2013 June 22, “Engineers of a different kind”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 70:
      Private-equity nabobs bristle at being dubbed mere financiers. Piling debt onto companies’ balance-sheets is only a small part of what leveraged buy-outs are about, they insist. Improving the workings of the businesses they take over is just as core to their calling, if not more so. Much of their pleading is public-relations bluster.
    A small serving of ice cream.
    A small group.
    He made us all feel small.
  2. (figuratively) Young, as a child.
    Remember when the children were small?
  3. (writing, incomparable) Minuscule or lowercase, referring to written or printed letters.
  4. Envincing little worth or ability; not large-minded; paltry; mean.
    • Carlyle
      A true delineation of the smallest man is capable of interesting the greatest man.
  5. Not prolonged in duration; not extended in time; short.
    a small space of time
  6. (archaic) Slender, gracefully slim.

SynonymsEdit

AntonymsEdit

Derived termsEdit

Terms derived from small (adj.)

TranslationsEdit

AdverbEdit

small (comparative smaller, superlative smallest)

  1. In a small fashion. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
  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 termsEdit

NounEdit

small (plural smalls)

  1. (rare) Any part of something that is smaller or slimmer than the rest, now usually with anatomical reference to the back.

Derived termsEdit

VerbEdit

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.
    • Thomas Hardy
      And smalled till she was nought at all.

AnagramsEdit

IcelandicEdit

Low GermanEdit

EtymologyEdit

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

AdjectiveEdit

small (comparative smaller, superlative smallst)

  1. narrow
  2. small, slender

DeclensionEdit

Positive forms of small
gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter all genders
predicative he is small se is small dat is small se sünd small
partitive een Smalls een Smalls wat Smalls allens Small
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative smalle smalle small smalle
oblique smallen smalle small smalle
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative de smalle de smalle dat smalle de smallen
oblique den smallen de smalle dat smalle de smallen
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative en smalle en smalle en small/smallet (keen) smallen
oblique en smallen en smalle en small/smallet (keen) smallen
Comparative forms of small
gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter all genders
predicative he is smaller se is smaller dat is smaller se sünd smaller
partitive een smallers een smallers wat smallers allens smaller
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative smallere smallere smaller smallere
oblique smallern smallere smaller smallere
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative de smallere de smallere dat smallere de smallern
oblique den smallern de smallere dat smallere de smallern
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative en smallere en smallere en smaller (keen) smallern
oblique en smallern en smallere en smaller (keen) smallern
Superlative forms of small
gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter all genders
predicative he is de Smallste se is de Smallste dat is dat Smallste se sünd de Smallsten
strong declension
(without article) 		nominative smallste smallste smallst smallste
oblique smallsten smallste smallst smallste
weak declension
(with definite article) 		nominative de smallste de smallste dat smallste de smallsten
oblique den smallsten de smallste dat smallste de smallsten
mixed declension
(with indefinite article) 		nominative en smallste en smallste en smallst (keen) smallsten
oblique en smallsten en smallste en smallst (keen) smallsten
Note: This declension is one of many; neither its grammar nor spelling apply to all dialects.

Middle EnglishEdit

AdjectiveEdit

small

  1. Alternative form of smal

SwedishEdit

VerbEdit

small

  1. past tense of smälla.
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