small
♦♦♦ small /sm'ɔːl/ (smaller smallest)
1 [ADJ]
A small person, thing, or amount of something is not large in physical size.
She is small for her age...
The window was far too small for him to get through...
Stick them on using a small amount of glue.
≠ large
● smallness [N-UNCOUNT]
Amy had not mentioned the smallness and bareness of Luis's home.
≠ largeness
2 [ADJ]
A small group or quantity consists of only a few people or things.
A small group of students meets regularly to learn Japanese...
Guns continued to be produced in small numbers.
≠ large
3 [ADJ]
A small child is a very young child.
I have a wife and two small children...
What were you like when you were small?
= young, little
4 [ADJ]
You use small to describe something that is not significant or great in degree.
It's quite easy to make quite small changes to the way that you work...
No detail was too small to escape her attention...
= minor
≠ major
5 [ADJ]
Small businesses or companies employ a small number of people and do business with a small number of clients.
...shops, restaurants and other small businesses...
6 [ADJ] v-link ADJ
If someone makes you look or feel small, they make you look or feel stupid or ashamed.
This may just be another of her schemes to make me look small...
7 [N-SING] the N of n
The small of your back is the bottom part of your back that curves in slightly.
Place your hands on the small of your back and breathe in.
8
the small hours: see hour
small wonder: see wonder
see also smallssmall ad (small ads)
[N-COUNT] usu the N in pl
The small ads in a newspaper are short advertisements in which you can advertise something such as an object for sale or a room to let.
Prospective buyers should study the small ads in the daily newspaper.small arms
[N-PLURAL]
Small arms are guns that are light and easy to carry.
The two sides exchanged small arms fire for about three hours.small beer
[N-UNCOUNT]
If you say that something is small beer, you mean that it is unimportant in comparison with something else. (BRIT)
Such roles are small beer compared with the fame she once enjoyed.
= peanutssmall change
[N-UNCOUNT]
Small change is coins of low value.
She was counting out 30p, mostly in small change, into my hand.small fry (small fry)
[N-UNCOUNT] also N in pl
Small fry is used to refer to someone or something that is considered to be unimportant.
What they owe to the Inland Revenue is small fry compared to the overall £1.2 million debt...small hours
[N-PLURAL] usu in the N, oft N of n
If something happens in the small hours, it happens soon after midnight, in the very early morning.
They were arrested in the small hours of Saturday morning.small print
[N-UNCOUNT] usu the N
The small print of a contract or agreement is the part of it that is written in very small print. You refer to it as the small print especially when you think that it might include unfavourable conditions which someone might not notice or understand.
Read the small print in your contract to find out exactly what you are insured for.
= fine printsmall screen
[N-SING] usu the N
When people talk about the small screen, they are referring to television, in contrast to films that are made for the cinema.
Now he is also to become a star of the small screen...
≠ big screensmall talk
[N-UNCOUNT]
Small talk is polite conversation about unimportant things that people make at social occasions.
Smiling for the cameras, the two men strained to make small talk.small town
in BRIT, also use smalltown
[ADJ] usu ADJ n
Small town is used when referring to small places, usually in the United States, where people are friendly, honest, and polite, or to the people there. Small town is also sometimes used to suggest that someone has old-fashioned ideas. (mainly AM)
...an idealized small-town America of neat, middle-class homes...
1 [ADJ]
A small person, thing, or amount of something is not large in physical size.
She is small for her age...
The window was far too small for him to get through...
Stick them on using a small amount of glue.
≠ large
● smallness [N-UNCOUNT]
Amy had not mentioned the smallness and bareness of Luis's home.
≠ largeness
2 [ADJ]
A small group or quantity consists of only a few people or things.
A small group of students meets regularly to learn Japanese...
Guns continued to be produced in small numbers.
≠ large
3 [ADJ]
A small child is a very young child.
I have a wife and two small children...
What were you like when you were small?
= young, little
4 [ADJ]
You use small to describe something that is not significant or great in degree.
It's quite easy to make quite small changes to the way that you work...
No detail was too small to escape her attention...
= minor
≠ major
5 [ADJ]
Small businesses or companies employ a small number of people and do business with a small number of clients.
...shops, restaurants and other small businesses...
6 [ADJ] v-link ADJ
If someone makes you look or feel small, they make you look or feel stupid or ashamed.
This may just be another of her schemes to make me look small...
7 [N-SING] the N of n
The small of your back is the bottom part of your back that curves in slightly.
Place your hands on the small of your back and breathe in.
8
the small hours: see hour
small wonder: see wonder
see also smallssmall ad (small ads)
[N-COUNT] usu the N in pl
The small ads in a newspaper are short advertisements in which you can advertise something such as an object for sale or a room to let.
Prospective buyers should study the small ads in the daily newspaper.small arms
[N-PLURAL]
Small arms are guns that are light and easy to carry.
The two sides exchanged small arms fire for about three hours.small beer
[N-UNCOUNT]
If you say that something is small beer, you mean that it is unimportant in comparison with something else. (BRIT)
Such roles are small beer compared with the fame she once enjoyed.
= peanutssmall change
[N-UNCOUNT]
Small change is coins of low value.
She was counting out 30p, mostly in small change, into my hand.small fry (small fry)
[N-UNCOUNT] also N in pl
Small fry is used to refer to someone or something that is considered to be unimportant.
What they owe to the Inland Revenue is small fry compared to the overall £1.2 million debt...small hours
[N-PLURAL] usu in the N, oft N of n
If something happens in the small hours, it happens soon after midnight, in the very early morning.
They were arrested in the small hours of Saturday morning.small print
[N-UNCOUNT] usu the N
The small print of a contract or agreement is the part of it that is written in very small print. You refer to it as the small print especially when you think that it might include unfavourable conditions which someone might not notice or understand.
Read the small print in your contract to find out exactly what you are insured for.
= fine printsmall screen
[N-SING] usu the N
When people talk about the small screen, they are referring to television, in contrast to films that are made for the cinema.
Now he is also to become a star of the small screen...
≠ big screensmall talk
[N-UNCOUNT]
Small talk is polite conversation about unimportant things that people make at social occasions.
Smiling for the cameras, the two men strained to make small talk.small town
in BRIT, also use smalltown
[ADJ] usu ADJ n
Small town is used when referring to small places, usually in the United States, where people are friendly, honest, and polite, or to the people there. Small town is also sometimes used to suggest that someone has old-fashioned ideas. (mainly AM)
...an idealized small-town America of neat, middle-class homes...