What does small mean?
Definitions for small
smɔlsmall
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word small.
Princeton's WordNet
smallnoun
the slender part of the back
smalladjective
a garment size for a small person
small, littleadjective
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
"a little dining room"; "a little house"; "a small car"; "a little (or small) group"
minor, modest, small, small-scale, pocket-size, pocket-sizedadjective
limited in size or scope
"a small business"; "a newspaper with a modest circulation"; "small-scale plans"; "a pocket-size country"
little, smalladjective
(of children and animals) young, immature
"what a big little boy you are"; "small children"
small(a)adjective
slight or limited; especially in degree or intensity or scope
"a series of death struggles with small time in between"
humble, low, lowly, modest, smalladjective
low or inferior in station or quality
"a humble cottage"; "a lowly parish priest"; "a modest man of the people"; "small beginnings"
little, minuscule, smalladjective
lowercase
"little a"; "small a"; "e.e.cummings's poetry is written all in minuscule letters"
little, smalladjective
(of a voice) faint
"a little voice"; "a still small voice"
smalladjective
have fine or very small constituent particles
"a small misty rain"
modest, smalladjective
not large but sufficient in size or amount
"a modest salary"; "modest inflation"; "helped in my own small way"
belittled, diminished, smalladverb
made to seem smaller or less (especially in worth)
"her comments made me feel small"
smalladverb
on a small scale
"think small"
Wiktionary
smallnoun
Any part of something that is smaller or slimmer than the rest, now usually with anatomical reference to the back.
smallnoun
Underclothes.
smalladverb
In a small fashion.
smalladjective
Not large or big; insignificant; few in numbers or size.
smalladjective
Young, as a child.
Remember when the children were small?
smalladjective
Minuscule or lowercase, referring to written letters.
Etymology: From smal, from smæl, from smalaz, from (s)mal-. Cognate with smel, smal, schmal, små, malus, малый.
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
SMALLadjective
Etymology: small , Saxon; smal, Dutch; smaar, Islandick.
For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. Is. liv. 7.
Death only this mysterious truth unfolds,
The mighty soul how small a body holds. John Dryden, Juven.All numeration is but still the adding of one unit more, and giving to the whole together a distinct name, whereby to distinguish it from every smaller or greater multitude of units. John Locke.
The ordinary smallest measure we have is looked on as an unit in number. John Locke.
The danger is less when the quantity of the fluids is too small, than when it is too great; for a smaller quantity will pass where a larger cannot, but not contrariwise. Arbuthnot.
Good cooks cannot abide fiddling work: such is the dressing of small birds, requiring a world of cookery. Jonathan Swift.
After the earthquake a fire, and after the fire a still small voice. 1 Kings xix. 12.
Your sin and calf I burnt, and ground it very small, ’till it was as small as dust. Deutr. ix. 21.
Those wav’d their limber fans
For wings, and smallest lineaments exact. John Milton.Small grained sand is esteemed the best for the tenant, and the large for the landlord and land. John Mortimer, Husbandry.
There arose no small stir about that way. Acts xix. 23.
Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? Gen.
Narrow man being fill’d with little shares,
Courts, city, church, are all shops of small wares;
All having blown to sparks their noble fire,
And drawn their sound gold ingot into wire. John Donne.Some mens behaviour is like a verse, wherein every syllable is measured: how can a man comprehend great matters that breaketh his mind too much to small observations? Francis Bacon.
Go down to the cellar to draw ale or small beer. Jonathan Swift.
Smallnoun
The small or narrow part of any thing. It is particularly applied to the part of the leg below the calf.
Etymology: from the adjective.
Her garment was cut after such a fashion, that though the length of it reached to the ancles, yet in her going one might sometimes discern the small of her leg. Philip Sidney.
Into her legs I’d have love’s issues fall,
And all her calf into a gouty small. John Suckling.His excellency, having mounted on the small of my leg, advanced forwards. Gulliver’s Travels.
Wikipedia
SMALL
Small Machine Algol Like Language (SMALL), is a computer programming language developed by Nevil Brownlee of the University of Auckland.
ChatGPT
small
Small is an adjective that typically describes something of limited size, magnitude, or scale. It implies a lack of bulk or volume, usually relative to the average or typical size of similar things in its category. The exact definition of "small" may vary depending on the context or the specific object being referred to.
Webster Dictionary
Small
having little size, compared with other things of the same kind; little in quantity or degree; diminutive; not large or extended in dimension; not great; not much; inconsiderable; as, a small man; a small river
Small
being of slight consequence; feeble in influence or importance; unimportant; trivial; insignificant; as, a small fault; a small business
Small
envincing little worth or ability; not large-minded; -- sometimes, in reproach, paltry; mean
Small
not prolonged in duration; not extended in time; short; as, after a small space
Small
weak; slender; fine; gentle; soft; not loud
Smalladverb
in or to small extent, quantity, or degree; little; slightly
Smalladverb
not loudly; faintly; timidly
Smallnoun
the small or slender part of a thing; as, the small of the leg or of the back
Smallnoun
smallclothes
Smallnoun
same as Little go. See under Little, a
Smallverb
to make little or less
Etymology: [OE. small, AS. smael; akin to D. smal narrow, OS. & OHG. smal small, G. schmal narrow, Dan. & Sw. smal, Goth. smals small, Icel. smali small cattle, sheep, or goats; cf. Gr. mh^lon a sheep or goat.]
Wikidata
SMALL
SMALL, Small Machine Algol Like Language, is a programming language developed by Dr. Nevil Brownlee of Auckland University.
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Small
smawl, adj. little in quantity or degree: minute: not great: unimportant: ungenerous, petty: of little worth or ability: short: having little strength: gentle: little in quality or quantity.—adv. in a low tone; gently.—ns. Small′-ale, ale with little malt and unhopped; Small′-and-earl′y (coll.) an informal evening-party.—n.pl. Small′-arms, muskets, rifles, pistols, &c., including all weapons that can be actually carried by a man.—n. Small′-beer, a kind of weak beer.—adj. inferior generally.—n.pl. Small′-clothes, knee-breeches, esp. those of the close-fitting 18th-century form.—ns. Small′-coal, coal not in lumps but small pieces; Small′-craft, small vessels generally.—n.pl. Small′-debts, a phrase current in Scotland to denote debts under £12, recoverable in the Sheriff Court.—n. Small′-hand, writing such as is ordinarily used in correspondence.—n.pl. Small′-hours, the hours immediately following midnight.—adj. Small′ish, somewhat small.—ns. Small′ness; Small′-pī′ca (see Pica); Small′pox, or Variola, a contagious, febrile disease, of the class known as Exanthemata, characterised by small pocks or eruptions on the skin; Smalls, the 'little-go' or previous examination: small-clothes; Small′-talk, light or trifling conversation.—n.pl. Small′-wares (see Ware).—In a small way, with little capital or stock: unostentatiously. [A.S. smæl; Ger. schmal.]
Dictionary of Nautical Terms
small
The narrow part of the tail of a whale, in front of the flukes. Also, that part of the anchor-shank which is immediately under the stock.
Suggested Resources
small
Song lyrics by small -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by small on the Lyrics.com website.
Surnames Frequency by Census Records
SMALL
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Small is ranked #861 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
The Small surname appeared 40,212 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 14 would have the surname Small.
62.6% or 25,197 total occurrences were White.
30.8% or 12,389 total occurrences were Black.
2.6% or 1,050 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
1.9% or 776 total occurrences were of two or more races.
1.4% or 567 total occurrences were American Indian or Alaskan Native.
0.5% or 233 total occurrences were Asian.
Matched Categories
British National Corpus
Spoken Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'small' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #179
Written Corpus Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'small' in Written Corpus Frequency: #435
Adjectives Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'small' in Adjectives Frequency: #7
Usage in printed sourcesFrom:
- 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Anagrams for small »
malls
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of small in Chaldean Numerology is: 5
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of small in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3
Examples of small in a Sentence
There is a time for some things, and a time for all things a time for great things, and a time for small things.
The bar for perfection continues to raise every day for each chef, chefs who have worked in The Japanese know that small details of a dish are equally important as its taste and aroma. Generally, people in Tokyo like to have many dishes for each meal, but in small portions.
We grab our helmets, IDs, a ladder, some small tools and we are good to go.
Cross-country skiing is great if you live in a small country.
Investors in small miners are hungry to allocate cash even in companies like Rox that have a long way to go, teena is not a mine yet and will require huge amounts of capital and development work without any guarantees.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
References
Translations for small
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- صغيرArabic
- kiçikAzerbaijani
- бәләкәйBashkir
- малы́, мале́нькі, малады́Belarusian
- ма́лъкBulgarian
- ছোটBengali
- petitCatalan, Valencian
- жима, кегийChechen
- malý, mladýCzech
- малъOld Church Slavonic, Church Slavonic, Old Bulgarian
- пӗчӗкChuvash
- ifanc, bach, bychan, ieuanc, mânWelsh
- liden, lilleDanish
- gering, klein, jungGerman
- sueEwe
- μικρός, νέοςGreek
- juna, malgrandaEsperanto
- pequeño, joven, chico, minúsculas, pequeñaSpanish
- väikeEstonian
- که, کوچک, جوان, خرد, برناPersian
- nuori, pieniFinnish
- lítilFaroese
- petit, jeune, minusculeFrench
- lyts, jongWestern Frisian
- beagIrish
- beagScottish Gaelic
- pequenoGalician
- begManx
- קטנה, קטנים, קטנות, קטןHebrew
- छोटाHindi
- kicsi, kisHungarian
- պստիկ, պուճուր, փոքրիկ, փոքր, փոքրատառ, մանրArmenian
- kecilIndonesian
- ńta, ọbeleIgbo
- mikraIdo
- lítill, smárIcelandic
- giovane, piccoloItalian
- קָטָןHebrew
- 小さい, 若いJapanese
- მცირე, პატარაGeorgian
- кішкене, кішіKazakh
- តូចKhmer
- 작은Korean
- بچووکKurdish
- кичине, кичинекейKyrgyz
- paulus, iuvenis, parvusLatin
- ນ້ອຽLao
- mažasLithuanian
- mazsLatvian
- мал, мали, малаMacedonian
- жижигMongolian
- छोटा, लहानMarathi
- kecilMalay
- żgħira, żgħir, żgħarMaltese
- နုပ်, သေးBurmese
- klein, nietig, minuscuul, jongDutch
- liten, ungNorwegian
- petit, pichon, pichòtOccitan
- ਛੋੱਟਾPanjabi, Punjabi
- mały, młodyPolish
- وړوکی, کوچنیPashto, Pushto
- pequeno, minúsculo, jovemPortuguese
- pitschen, giuvenRomansh
- mici, mic, tânărRomanian
- мале́нький, молодо́й, ма́лый, ма́ленький, маленькийRussian
- अल्पSanskrit
- ма̑л, mȃlSerbo-Croatian
- කුඩාSinhala, Sinhalese
- malýSlovak
- majhenSlovene
- i vogëlAlbanian
- ung, liten, småSwedish
- mdogoSwahili
- சிறிய, இளைய, சிறிய்Tamil
- చిన్నTelugu
- хурдTajik
- เล็กThai
- kiçiTurkmen
- maliitTagalog
- küçükTurkish
- бәләкәй, кече, кечекTatar
- молоди́й, мали́й, мале́нькийUkrainian
- چھوٹاUrdu
- kichikUzbek
- nhỏ, nhỏ nhắn, tiểuVietnamese
- minudik, smalik, yunikVolapük
- קלייןYiddish
- 小Chinese
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"small." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 15 Feb. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/small>.
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