tiny definition

English

Alternative forms

• tyny (obsolete)

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtaɪni/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪni

Adjective

tiny (comparative tinier, superlative tiniest)

1. Very small.
   • 2013 July-August, Catherine Clabby, “Focus on Everything”, in American Scientist:

     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.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:tiny

Antonyms

• huge
• great

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

tiny (plural tinies)

1. A small child; an infant.
   • 1924, Ford Madox Ford, Some Do Not… (Parade's End), Penguin, published 2012, page 28:

     ‘You know I loved your husband like a brother, and you know I've loved you and Sylvia ever since she was a tiny.’

   • 1982, Young children in China, page 84:

     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).

2. Anything very small.
   • 1956, Victoria Sackville-West, Even More For Your Garden, page 102:

     Might I now add a plea for the smaller irises, the tinies? They, also, should be divided up and replanted just now.

Translations

Anagrams

• tiyn