least
noun
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L323157 on Wikidata ↗adverb
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L333748 on Wikidata ↗adjective
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L338087 on Wikidata ↗Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /liːst/ / /list/
adj
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
- Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.
“least common multiple”
“Of two ils chose the least, while choise lyeth in lot.”
- Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.
“least weasel”
“The firſt is a very ſlender plant hauing a fevve ſmall leaues like the leaſt Chickvveede, grovving in little tufts, from the midſt vvhereof riſeth vp a ſmall ſtalke, nine inches long; […]”
- Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.
“[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.”
“But if I thriue, the gaine of my attempt, / The leaſt of you, ſhall ſhare his part thereof.”
- Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.
adv
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
- In a degree below all others; in the lowest or smallest degree.
“My best routine was the one I had practised the least.”
“I don’t much like housework, and doing the dishes least of all.”
- Used to form superlatives of adjectives, especially those that do not form the superlative by adding -est.
“It was the least surprising thing.”
det
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
- Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.
“He earns the least money in his family.”
“Of all the sisters, she has the least patience.”
- Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.
“Whichever queue contains the least items by the time this logic branch is reached will be executed first.”
- Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.
“not even the least amount”
“It is indicative of his true character that he could not manage to show even the least bit of courtesy in such a situation.”
noun
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
- 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”
“The pastor preached that even the least of God’s creatures deserves freedom from needless or idle cruelty.”
- Something of the smallest possible extent; an indivisible unit; a minimum.
prep_phrase
Etymology: Contraction of at least.
- At least.
““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.””
“What a stupid white privileged POS I am! Least I call myself out.”
pron
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
- 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.”
“To have demolished and rebuilt the walls, would have been a very costly expedient, and as the least of two evils, the painter's brush was resorted to; here and there however, above some of the windows, the black wreathings of the smoke are still discernible through the white covering.”