英和和英

語源

From 中期英語 smalnesse; equivalent to small +‎ -ness.

名詞

smallness (countable and uncountable, plural smallnesses)

1. (uncountable) The state or quality of being small.

   His smallness didn't bother him, except when he needed something off the top shelf.

   • 1658, Thomas Browne, “The Garden of Cyrus. […]. Chapter III.”, in Hydriotaphia, Urne-buriall, […] Together with The Garden of Cyrus, […], London: […] Hen[ry] Brome […], →OCLC, page 136:

     The exiguity and ſmallneſſe of ſome ſeeds extending to large productions is one of the magnalities of nature, ſomewhat illuſtrating the work of the Creation, and vaſt production from nothing.

   • 1904, Jack London, chapter 32, in The Sea-Wolf (Macmillan’s Standard Library), New York, N.Y.: Grosset & Dunlap, →OCLC:

     My hand was lifted at her door to knock, when I recollected the smallness of the island. We could never hide ourselves upon it.

   • 1963 January, “The Irish scene”, in Modern Railways, page 16:

     Mr. Howden forcibly expressed his view that the U.T.A. [Ulster Transport Authority] rail system "had reached the limit of its smallness".

2. (countable) The result or product of being small.

参照

• “smallness”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.