英和和英

発音

• IPA: /ˌɪnfɪnɪˈtɛsɪməl/
• 韻: -ɛsɪməl

形容詞

infinitesimal (comparative more infinitesimal, superlative most infinitesimal)

1. Incalculably, exceedingly, or immeasurably minute; vanishingly small.

   Do you ever get the feeling that you are but an infinitesimal speck, swallowed by the vastness of the universe and beyond?

   • 1913, Arthur Conan Doyle, “(please specify the page)”, in The Poison Belt […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:

     "You will conceive a bunch of grapes," said he, "which are covered by some infinitesimal but noxious bacillus."

   • 2001, Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl, page 221:

     Then you could say that the doorway exploded. But the particular verb doesn't do the action justice. Rather, it shattered into infinitesimal pieces.

2. (mathematics, not comparable) Of or pertaining to non-zero quantities whose magnitude is less than any positive rational number.
3. (informal) Very small.

同意語

• See also Thesaurus:tiny

反意語

• infinite
• enormous

派生語

名詞

infinitesimal (plural infinitesimals)

1. (mathematics) A non-zero quantity whose magnitude is smaller than any positive number (by definition it is not a real number).

   Antonym: infinity

2. Something infinitesimally small.
   • 1934, Ernest Bramah, The Bravo of London:

     It occurred to the hearer, who was accustomed to glean much of his knowledge from the infinitesimals of tone, that there was a spice of "It is my duty and I will" in this praiseworthy resolve which fell short of the ecstatic resolution of the Saturday Nora.

派生語

• infinitesimal calculus
• infinitesimally

参照