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small

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More words related to small

little

adj. not important

low

adj. close to the ground; short

low

adj. reduced; mediocre

adj. borderline; slight

mere

adj. nothing more; absolute

modest

adj. limited, ordinary

Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

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Word Origin & History

small O.E. smæl "slender, narrow, small," from P.Gmc. *smalaz (cf. O.S., Dan., Swed., M.Du., Du., O.H.G. smal, O.Fris. smel, Ger. schmal "narrow," Goth. smalista "smallest," O.N. smali "small cattle, sheep"), perhaps from a PIE base *(s)melo- "smaller animal" (cf. Gk. melon, O.Ir. mil "a small animal;" O.C.S. malu "bad"). Original sense of "narrow" now almost obsolete, except in reference to waistline and intestines."My sister ... is as white as a lilly, and as small as a wand." [Shakespeare, "Two Gentlemen of Verona," 1591]Sense of "not large, of little size" developed in O.E. With many ...extended senses, e.g. small fry, first recorded 1690s of little fish, 1885 of insignificant people. Small potatoes first attested 1940; small change "something of little value" is from 1902; small talk "chit-chat" (1751) first recorded in Chesterfield's "Letters." Small world as a comment upon an unexpected meeting of acquaintances is recorded from 1895. Small-town (adj.) "unsophisticated, provincial" is recorded from 1824. Small arms, indicating those capable of being carried in the hand (contrasted to ordnance) is recorded from 1710.

Example Sentences for small

She's one of the build that aren't so big as they look, nor yet so small as they look.

Obulus, (plural Oboli)—A small coin, about the value of a penny.

So small was it that to have gone a few feet to either side would have been to miss it.

He caught but two fish, and they were so small that he decided not to offer them for sale.