What does "small" mean?

Small: Being of slight consequence; feeble in influence or importance; unimportant; trivial; insignificant; as, a small fault; a small business.

Additional senses

  1. 2.Envincing little worth or ability; not large-minded; -- sometimes, in reproach, paltry; mean. A true delineation of the smallest man is capable of interesting the reatest man. Carlyle.
  2. 3.Not prolonged in duration; not extended in time; short; as, after a small space. Shak.
  3. 4.Weak; slender; fine; gentle; soft; not loud. "A still, small voice." 1 Kings xix.
  4. 5.Great and small,of all ranks or degrees; -- used especially of persons. "His quests, great and small." Chaucer. -- Small arms, muskets, rifles, pistols, etc., in distinction from cannon. -- Small beer. See under Beer. -- Small coal. (a) Little coals of wood formerly used to light fires. Gay. (b) Coal about the size of a hazelnut, separated from the coarser parts by screening. -- Small craft (Naut.), a vessel, or vessels in general, of a small size. -- Small fruits. See under Fruit. -- Small hand, a certain size of paper. See under Paper. -- Small hours. See under Hour. -- Small letter. (Print.), a lower-case letter. See Lower-case, and Capital letter, under Capital, a. -- Small piece, a Scotch coin worth about 2 -- Small register. See the Note under 1st Register, 7. -- Small stuff (Naut.), spun yarn, marline, and the smallest kinds of rope. R. H. Dana, Jr. -- Small talk, light or trifling conversation; chitchat. -- Small wares (Com.), various small textile articles, as tapes, braid, tringe, and the like. M`Culloch.
  5. 6.In or to small extent, quantity, or degree; little; slightly. [Obs.] "I wept but small." Chaucer. "It small avails my mood." Shak.
  6. 7.Not loudly; faintly; timidly. [Obs. or Humorous] You may speak as small as you will. Shak.
  7. 8.The small or slender part of a thing; as, the small of the leg or of the back.
  8. 9.pl. Smallclothes. [Colloq.] Hood. Dickens.
  9. 10.pl. Same as Little go. See under Little, a.
  10. 11.To make little or less. [Obs.]

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