small
adj
1 comparatively little; limited in size, number, importance, etc.
2 of little importance or on a minor scale
a small business
3 lacking in moral or mental breadth or depth
a small mind
4 modest or humble
small beginnings
5 of low or inferior status, esp. socially
6 (of a child or animal) young; not mature
7 unimportant, trivial
a small matter
8 not outstanding
a small actor
9 of, relating to, or designating the ordinary modern minuscule letter used in printing and cursive writing
Compare →
capital 1 →
13
See also →
lower case
10 lacking great strength or force
a small effort
11 in fine particles
small gravel
12 Obsolete (of beer, etc.) of low alcoholic strength
adv
13 into small pieces
cut it small
14 in a small or soft manner
15 ♦
feel small to be humiliated or inferior
n
16 often preceded by: the an object, person, or group considered to be small
the small or the large?
17 a small slender part, esp. of the back
18 pl Informal (chiefly Brit) items of personal laundry, such as underwear (Old English smæl; related to Old High German smal, Old Norse smali small cattle) ♦
smallish adj ♦
smallness n
small advertisement , small ad
n a short, simply designed advertisement in a newspaper or magazine, usually set entirely in a small size of type
See →
display advertisement
small arms
pl n portable firearms of relatively small calibre
small beer
n
Informal (chiefly Brit) people or things of no importance
small-bore
adj (of a firearm) having a small bore, especially one of less than .22 calibre
small calorie
n another name for →
calorie
small capital
n a letter having the form of an upper-case letter but the same height as a lower-case letter
small change
n
1 coins, esp. those of low value
2 a person or thing that is not outstanding or important
small chop
pl n (W African) cocktail snacks
small circle
n a circular section of a sphere that does not contain the centre of the sphere
Compare →
great circle
small claims court
n (Brit. and Canadian) a local court with jurisdiction to try civil actions involving small claims
small fry
pl n
1 people or things regarded as unimportant
small game
n (Brit) small animals that are hunted for sport
small goods
pl n (Austral. and N.Z.) meats bought from a delicatessen, such as sausages
small hours
pl n the. the early hours of the morning, after midnight and before dawn
small intestine
n the longest part of the alimentary canal, consisting of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, in which digestion is completed
Compare →
large intestine
small letter
n a lower-case letter
small-minded
adj narrow-minded; petty; intolerant; mean
♦
small-mindedly adv
♦
small-mindedness n
small pica
n (formerly) a size of printer's type approximately equal to 11 point
small potatoes
n functioning as sing or pl
Informal (chiefly U.S. and Canadian) someone or something of little significance or value, esp. a small amount of money
small print
n matter in a contract, etc., printed in small type, esp. when considered to be a trap for the unwary
small-scale
adj
1 of limited size or scope
2 (of a map, model, etc.) giving a relatively small representation of something, usually missing out details
small screen
n an informal name for →
television
small slam
n (Bridge) another name for →
little slam
small stores
pl n (Navy) personal items, such as clothing, sold aboard ship or at a naval base
Compare →
slop chest
small stuff
n (Nautical) any light twine or yarn used aboard ship for serving lines, etc.
small talk
n light conversation for social occasions
small-time
adj
Informal insignificant; minor
a small-time criminal
♦
small-timer n
small white
n a small white butterfly, Artogeia rapae, with scanty black markings, the larvae of which feed on brassica leaves