different between small vs lesser
small
English
Pronunciation
- (UK)
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /sm??l/
- Rhymes: -??l
- (US)
- (General American) IPA(key): /sm?l/
- (cot–caught merger) IPA(key): /sm?l/
- (Canada) IPA(key): /sm?l/
- (General Australian, General New Zealand) IPA(key): /smo?l/
Etymology
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 ?????? (mályj, “small”).
Adjective
small (comparative smaller, superlative smallest)
- Not large or big; insignificant; few in number.
- (figuratively) Young, as a child.
- (writing, incomparable) Minuscule or lowercase, referring to written or printed letters.
- Envincing little worth or ability; not large-minded; paltry; mean.
- 1851, Thomas Carlyle, The Life of John Sterling
- A true delineation of the smallest man is capable of interesting the greatest man.
- 1851, Thomas Carlyle, The Life of John Sterling
- Not prolonged in duration; not extended in time; short.
- (archaic) Slender, gracefully slim.
Synonyms
- (not large or big): little, microscopic, minuscule, minute, tiny; see also Thesaurus:tiny
- (young, as a child): little, wee (Scottish), young
- (of written letters): lowercase, minuscule
Antonyms
- See also Thesaurus:large
- (not large or big): capital, big, generous (said of an amount of something given), large
- (young, as a child): adult, grown-up, old
- (of written letters): big, capital, majuscule, uppercase
Derived terms
Translations
Adverb
small (comparative smaller, superlative smallest)
- In a small fashion. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
- 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.
- 2009, Ingrid Hoffman, CBS Early Morning for September 28, 2009 (transcription)
- (obsolete) To a small extent.
- (obsolete) In a low tone; softly.
Derived terms
- writ small
Noun
small (plural smalls)
- (rare) Any part of something that is smaller or slimmer than the rest, now usually with anatomical reference to the back.
Derived terms
- small of the back
Verb
small (third-person singular simple present smalls, present participle smalling, simple past and past participle smalled)
- (obsolete, transitive) To make little or less.
- (intransitive) To become small; to dwindle.
- 1917, Thomas Hardy, The Clock of the Years
- And smalled till she was nought at all.
- 1917, Thomas Hardy, The Clock of the Years
Anagrams
- malls
Icelandic
Verb
small (strong)
- first-person singular past indicative of smella
- third-person singular past indicative of smella
Low German
Etymology
From Middle Low German smal, from Old Saxon smal, from Proto-Germanic *smalaz. Cognate with German schmal, Dutch smal, English small.
Adjective
small (comparative smaller, superlative smallst)
- narrow
- small, slender
Declension
Middle English
Adjective
small
- Alternative form of smal
Norwegian Bokmål
Verb
small
- (non-standard since 2005) past tense of smelle
Norwegian Nynorsk
Verb
small
- past tense of smella
Swedish
Verb
small
- past tense of smälla.
Anagrams
- malls
small From the web:
- what small business to start
- what small animals eat grass
- what small pet should i get
- what small dogs don't shed
- what small dogs are hypoallergenic
- what small dogs don't bark
- what small stocks to buy today
- what small business can i start from home
lesser
English
Etymology
less +? -er
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /?l?s?/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /?l?s?/
- Rhymes: -?s?(?)
- Hyphenation: less?er
Adjective
lesser
- comparative form of little: more little
- Of two (or, rarely, more than two) things: the smaller in size (littler), in value, in importance etc.
- Antonym: greater
- lesser panda, lesser yellowlegs
Derived terms
Translations
Noun
lesser (plural lessers)
- a thing that is of smaller size, value, importance etc.
- the lesser of two evils
- The greater sand hills increasingly do not migrate, but almost all lessers do.
Related terms
- less
- lesser of two evils
- fewer
Translations
Anagrams
- Elsers, Eslers, resels, sleers
Old French
Verb
lesser
- Alternative form of laissier
Conjugation
This verb conjugates as a first-group verb ending in -er. The forms that would normally end in *-ss, *-sss, *-sst are modified to s, s, st. This verb has irregularities in its conjugation. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.
lesser From the web:
- what lessor means
- what lesser himalayas known as
- what lesser means
- what's lesser jihad
- what's lesser of two evils
- what's lesser of two evils mean
- what lesser concentration
- what lesser god
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