big

adj

Etymology: Inherited from Northern Middle English big, bigge (“powerful, strong”), possibly from a dialect of Old Norse. Ultimately perhaps a derivative of Proto-Germanic *bugja- (“swollen up, thick”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰew-, *bu- (“to swell”), in which case big would be related to bogey, bugbear, and bug. Compare dialectal Norwegian bugge (“great man”), Low German Bögge, Boggelmann.

1. Of great size, large.

   “Elephants are big animals, and they eat a lot.”

   “The big houses, and there are a good many of them, lie for the most part in what may be called by courtesy the valleys. You catch a glimpse of them sometimes at a little distance from the [railway] line,[…], with their court of farm and church and clustered village, in dignified seclusion.”

2. Of great size, large.

   “Gosh, she is big!”

3. Large with young; pregnant; swelling; ready to give birth or produce.

   “She was big with child.”

   “The Dawn is over-caſt, the Morning low’rs, And heavily in Clouds brings on the Day, The great, th’ important Day; big with the Fate Of Cato and of Rome.”

4. Well-endowed; with a desired body part notably large.
5. Well-endowed; with a desired body part notably large.

   “I'm the shortest man on the team but in the gym shower everyone can see that I'm also the biggest.”

6. Well-endowed; with a desired body part notably large.

   “I've been lifting weights for a full year now, but I'm finally getting big.”

7. Adult; (of a child) older.

   “Kids should get help from big people if they want to use the kitchen.”

   “We were just playing, and then some big kids came and chased us away.”

8. Adult; (of a child) older.

   “I don't think so, if you're shouting at people across the playground at your big age.”

9. Mature, conscientious, principled; generous.

   “That's very big of you; thank you!”

   “I tried to be the bigger person and just let it go, but I couldn't help myself.”

10. Important or significant.

    “What's so big about that? I do it all the time.”

    “"I was dragged up at the workhouse school till I was twelve. Then I ran away and sold papers in the streets, and anything else that I could pick up a few coppers by—except steal. I never did that. I always made up my mind I'd be a big man some day, and—I'm glad I didn't steal."”

11. Popular.

    “That style is very big right now in Europe, especially among teenagers.”

    “Big in Japan, alright, pay then I'll sleep by your side / Things are easy when you're big in Japan”

12. Populous.
13. Used as an intensifier, especially of negative-valence nouns

    “You are a big liar.  Why are you in such a big hurry?”

    “The little suggestions of look and tone; the easy fibs and bigger lies; the tricks of persuasion, the onleading wiles — all these I could not master.”

14. Operating on a large scale, especially if therefore having undue or sinister influence.

    “big money”

    “Big Tech, Big Steel”

15. Enthusiastic (about).

    “Neville is big on standing by his principles and he deserves plaudits for acknowledging he got his starting system wrong, reverting to 4-2-3-1 and introducing Kirby in the No 10 role.”

    “I'm not big on the idea, but if you want to go ahead with it, I won't stop you.”

adv

Etymology: Inherited from Northern Middle English big, bigge (“powerful, strong”), possibly from a dialect of Old Norse. Ultimately perhaps a derivative of Proto-Germanic *bugja- (“swollen up, thick”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰew-, *bu- (“to swell”), in which case big would be related to bogey, bugbear, and bug. Compare dialectal Norwegian bugge (“great man”), Low German Bögge, Boggelmann.

1. In a loud manner.
2. In a boasting manner.

   “He's always talking big, but he never delivers.”

3. In a large amount or to a large extent.

   “He won big betting on the croquet championship.”

   “Don't miss our November sale — it's your last chance to save big before Christmas!”

4. In a large amount or to a large extent.

   “I've always been big into sport, but I'm especially big into football.”

5. On a large scale, expansively.

   “You've got to think big to succeed at Amalgamated Plumbing.”

   “'You've got to put it over big,' he was saying in a loud nasal voice.”

6. Hard; with great force.

   “He hit him big and the guy just crumpled.”

noun

1. A biological insulation garment; an air-tight, full-body suit intended to prevent the spread of contaminants.

phrase

1. Abbreviation of business is a game.

verb

Etymology: From Middle English biggen, byggen, from Old Norse byggja, byggva (“to build, dwell in, inhabit”), a secondary form of Old Norse búa (“to dwell”), related to Old English būan (“to dwell”). Cognate with Danish bygge, Swedish bygga.

1. To inhabit; occupy.
2. To locate oneself.
3. To build; erect; fashion.

   “Don't big it up.”

4. To dwell; have a dwelling.