Etimology
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”).
adjective
small (comparative smaller, superlative smallest)
Not large or big; insignificant; few in number.
(figuratively, incomparable) Young, as a child.
(writing, incomparable) Minuscule or lowercase, referring to written or printed letters.
Evincing little worth or ability; not large-minded; paltry; mean.
Not prolonged in duration; not extended in time; short.
Synonym of little (“of an industry or institution(s) therein: operating on a small scale, unlike larger counterparts”)
(archaic) Slender, gracefully slim.
(especially clothing, food or drink) That is small (the manufactured size).
Examples
Synonyms: little, microscopic, minuscule, minute, tiny; see also Thesaurus:small
Antonyms: big, generous, large; see also Thesaurus:large
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.
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.
The bullies had succeeded in making him feel small.
For all the times that you made me feel small / I fell in love, now I feel nothing at all
Synonyms: little, under-endowed
Though over six feet tall, the man was very small and ashamed to undress.
Synonyms: little, wee, young
Antonyms: adult, grown-up, old
Remember when the children were small?
Synonyms: lowercase, minuscule
Antonyms: big, capital, majuscule, uppercase
"I've got catholic tastes. Catholic with a small "c", of course."
A true delineation of the smallest man is capable of interesting the greatest man.
a small space of time
small science
I'll have a small coffee, thanks.
adverb
small (comparative smaller, superlative smallest)
In a small fashion
In or into small pieces.
(obsolete) To a small extent.
(obsolete) In a low tone; softly.
Examples
Don't write very small!
That's going to go in there. We've got some chives small chopped as well.
It small avails my mood.
That's all one: you shall play it in a mask, and / you may speak as small as you will.
noun
small (countable and uncountable, plural smalls) (nominalized)
(uncountable, especially clothing, food or drink) One of several common sizes to which an item may be manufactured.
(countable, especially clothing, food or drink) An item labelled or denoted as being that size.
(countable, especially with respect to clothing) One who fits an item of that size.
(countable, rare) Any part of something that is smaller or slimmer than the rest, now usually with anatomical reference to the back.
Examples
Synonym: S
Two smalls and a large, please.
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.
Examples
And smalled till she was nought at all.