[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/small.html) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / small [← S](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/S/) # small «small» in Mova's school dictionary: **little in size: a small dog** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it. ### part of speech adjective (small, smaller, smallest); noun (the small of your back); adverb (rare: think small) ### meaning for a pupil 1) Small means little in size: a small dog. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/small/#m1) 2) Small means little in number or amount: a small crowd, a small number. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/small/#m2) 3) Small means young: when I was small. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/small/#m3) 4) Small means not important: a small mistake. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/small/#m4) 5) Smaller means less big than another one; smallest means less big than all the others. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/small/#m5) 6) Small can mean mean or petty: «That was a small thing to do». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/small/#m6) 7) (casual) «Small» is a size in shops and cafés: «a small chips, please». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/small/#m7) 8) (formal) Exams say «of lesser magnitude», «minimal», «negligible» or «the lesser of» for small or smaller. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/small/#m8) 9) (euphemism) «Small» or «petite» is a polite word for short or thin people; «a small problem» may hide a big one. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/small/#m9) ### sense in the lessons the lesser of two numbers («subtract the smaller number from the bigger one»); in maths ordering numbers from smallest to biggest; in science small animals like insects, very small things seen with a microscope; in everyday life «small talk», «small print», «small change», «a small one» (a small drink); in casual talk «it's no small thing», «teeny», «tiny», «titchy» (UK); in rough talk «you're so small you can't reach» (a put-down about size); in the exam voice «the lesser quantity», «the minimal value», «a negligible amount» ### examples - We always subtract the smaller number from the bigger one. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/small/#x1) - Which number is smaller, 8 or 13? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/small/#x2) - Put the numbers in order from smallest to biggest. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/small/#x3) - Germs are too small to see without a microscope. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/small/#x4) - I made a small mistake in my spelling. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/small/#x5) - When I was small, I was scared of the dark. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/small/#x6) - A small chips and a Coke, ta. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/small/#x7) - We've got a small problem: the car won't start (it's a big problem). [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/small/#x8) - Don't sweat the small stuff, just count 'em. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/small/#x9) - Oi, shorty, you're too small for the big slide. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/small/#x10) - Determine the lesser of the two quantities, 17 and 23. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/small/#x11) - The difference is negligible: 0.01 kilograms. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/small/#x12) - The dragon grows small at night! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/small/#x13) ### note In subtraction with whole numbers, take the smaller number from the bigger one. Trap: the smaller number is not always the one told second. Opposite: big, large. The smallest whole number is 0. «The lesser of» and «the minimum» in an exam ask for the smaller number. «a small problem» said calmly may be a euphemism for a big one. Teasing someone about size is unkind. ### In the corpora - [Burnout means being worn down by too much work and stress for too long, until even small tasks feel huge.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/4-when-work-goes-wrong/15/) - [Pocket money is a small regular amount given to children to practise choosing, saving and making mistakes with money.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/5-where-money-comes-from/8/) - [Child benefit is a small regular payment from the government to families with children, to help with things like shoes and food.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/5-where-money-comes-from/12/) - [A text saying a parcel is held and asking for a small payment is a common scam to steal bank details.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/9-when-money-is-tight/18/) - [Dentists check teeth every six months to a year to catch small problems, like holes, before they hurt.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/22-sore-backs-glasses-and-feeling-low/11/) ### Trees and pragmatics [Every meaning and example of «small» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/small/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.