tiny meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

tiny

adj

/ˈtaɪni/

Etymology From Middle English tine, tyne (“very small”) + -y. Perhaps from tine.

Very small.

Not long ago, it was difficult to produce photographs of tiny creatures with every part in focus. That’s because the lenses that are excellent at magnifying tiny subjects produce a narrow depth of field. A photo processing technique called focus stacking has changed that.2013 July-August, Catherine Clabby, “Focus on Everything”, in American Scientist:

Synonyms: Lilliputian. See Thesaurus:small
Antonyms: huge
Derived terms: supertiny, teeny-tiny, tinily, tininess, tinygram, tiny hat, tiny home, tiny house, tinyness, tinysex, Tiny Tim, tiny wonder, ultratiny
Hypernyms: small

noun

Etymology From Middle English tine, tyne (“very small”) + -y. Perhaps from tine.

A small child; an infant.

‘You know I loved your husband like a brother, and you know I've loved you and Sylvia ever since she was a tiny.’1924, Ford Madox Ford, Some Do Not… (Parade's End), Penguin, published 2012, page 28:
The lessons we saw have been well suited to the age of the children as regards music, singing and moving (and stories about animals for the tinies and more abstract themes for the older children).1982, Young children in China, page 84:

Anything very small.

Might I now add a plea for the smaller irises, the tinies? They, also, should be divided up and replanted just now.1956, Victoria Sackville-West, Even More For Your Garden, page 102:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.