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Least
Definitions
- 1 Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.; Chiefly used with abstract nouns: less than all others in extent or size; littlest, smallest.
"least common multiple"
- 2 Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.; Chiefly used with abstract nouns: less than all others in extent or size; littlest, smallest.; Of two or more animals or plants with the same name: the smaller or smallest.
"least weasel"
- 3 Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.; Lowest in importance or status; most insignificant or unimportant. archaic
"[M]ans reaſon is ſo farre off from being the meaſurer of faith, vvhich very far exceedeth nature, that it is not ſo much as the meaſurer of nature, & of the leaſt creatures vvhich lie farre vnderneath man; becauſe of the ignorance and vntovvardnes vvhich is in vs and raigneth in vs."
- 4 Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.; Followed by an agent noun: of a person: who does some action to the smallest degree. obsolete
- 1 the superlative of ‘little’ that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by ‘the’; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree wordnet
- 1 In a degree below all others; in the lowest or smallest degree. negative, superlative
"My best routine was the one I had practised the least."
- 2 Used to form superlatives of adjectives, especially those that do not form the superlative by adding -est. negative, superlative
"It was the least surprising thing."
- 1 used to form the superlative, smallest in size or degree wordnet
- 1 Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.; Smallest in amount or extent.
"He earns the least money in his family."
- 2 Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.; Followed by a plural noun: the smallest number of; the fewest.
"Whichever queue contains the least items by the time this logic branch is reached will be executed first."
- 3 Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.; Any, no matter how small in amount or extent.
"not even the least amount"
- 1 Preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little; the lowest-ranking or most insignificant person or (sometimes) group of people.
"even the least of"
- 2 something that is of no importance wordnet
- 3 Something of the smallest possible extent; an indivisible unit; a minimum.
- 1 At least. informal, nonstandard
"“Why he took and dipped his hand in a rotten stump where the rain water was.” “In the day time?” “Certainly.” “With his face to the stump?” “Yes. Least I reckon so.”"
- 1 Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little; the smallest amount or extent of something.
"I’m giving least of all towards her present."
Etymology
The adjective, determiner, and noun are derived from Middle English leste, lest, last (“(adjective) smallest, least; (noun) smallest thing, etc.; person or thing least in importance; etc.”), from Old English lǣst, a contraction of læsast, læsest (“least”) (also lærest in only one source), from Proto-Germanic *laisistaz (“smallest, least”), from *laisiz (“less”) (possibly from Proto-Indo-European *leh₂is- or *leh₃is-; whence modern English less) + *-istaz (“suffix forming superlative forms of some adjectives”). The adverb and pronoun are derived from the adjective or determiner. cognates * Old Frisian leist * Old Saxon lēs
The adjective, determiner, and noun are derived from Middle English leste, lest, last (“(adjective) smallest, least; (noun) smallest thing, etc.; person or thing least in importance; etc.”), from Old English lǣst, a contraction of læsast, læsest (“least”) (also lærest in only one source), from Proto-Germanic *laisistaz (“smallest, least”), from *laisiz (“less”) (possibly from Proto-Indo-European *leh₂is- or *leh₃is-; whence modern English less) + *-istaz (“suffix forming superlative forms of some adjectives”). The adverb and pronoun are derived from the adjective or determiner. cognates * Old Frisian leist * Old Saxon lēs
The adjective, determiner, and noun are derived from Middle English leste, lest, last (“(adjective) smallest, least; (noun) smallest thing, etc.; person or thing least in importance; etc.”), from Old English lǣst, a contraction of læsast, læsest (“least”) (also lærest in only one source), from Proto-Germanic *laisistaz (“smallest, least”), from *laisiz (“less”) (possibly from Proto-Indo-European *leh₂is- or *leh₃is-; whence modern English less) + *-istaz (“suffix forming superlative forms of some adjectives”). The adverb and pronoun are derived from the adjective or determiner. cognates * Old Frisian leist * Old Saxon lēs
The adjective, determiner, and noun are derived from Middle English leste, lest, last (“(adjective) smallest, least; (noun) smallest thing, etc.; person or thing least in importance; etc.”), from Old English lǣst, a contraction of læsast, læsest (“least”) (also lærest in only one source), from Proto-Germanic *laisistaz (“smallest, least”), from *laisiz (“less”) (possibly from Proto-Indo-European *leh₂is- or *leh₃is-; whence modern English less) + *-istaz (“suffix forming superlative forms of some adjectives”). The adverb and pronoun are derived from the adjective or determiner. cognates * Old Frisian leist * Old Saxon lēs
The adjective, determiner, and noun are derived from Middle English leste, lest, last (“(adjective) smallest, least; (noun) smallest thing, etc.; person or thing least in importance; etc.”), from Old English lǣst, a contraction of læsast, læsest (“least”) (also lærest in only one source), from Proto-Germanic *laisistaz (“smallest, least”), from *laisiz (“less”) (possibly from Proto-Indo-European *leh₂is- or *leh₃is-; whence modern English less) + *-istaz (“suffix forming superlative forms of some adjectives”). The adverb and pronoun are derived from the adjective or determiner. cognates * Old Frisian leist * Old Saxon lēs
Contraction of at least.
See also for "least"
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