adjective, we·er, we·est.
1.
little; very small.
2.
very early: in the wee hours of the morning.
Origin:
before 1150 for an earlier sense; Middle English we, variant of wei (small) quantity, Old English wēg, Anglian form of wǣge weight, akin to wegan to weigh1
before 1150 for an earlier sense; Middle English we, variant of wei (small) quantity, Old English wēg, Anglian form of wǣge weight, akin to wegan to weigh1
Synonyms
1. tiny, diminutive; minuscule.
1. tiny, diminutive; minuscule.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To Wee
Collins
World English Dictionary
wee1 (wiː) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | very small; tiny; minute |
| —n | |
| 2. | chiefly (Scot) a short time (esp in the phrase bide a wee.) |
| [C13: from Old English wǣg | |
00:10
Wee
is always a great word to know.
So is ort. Does it mean:
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
| a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal. |
| wee2 (wiː) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a. the act or an instance of urinating |
| b. urine | |
| —vb | |
| 2. | (intr) to urinate |
| [of unknown origin] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
wee
"extremely small," c.1450, from earlier noun use in sense of "quantity, amount" (cf. a littel wei "a little thing or amount," c.1300), from O.E. wæge "weight" (see weigh). Adj. use wee bit apparently developed as parallel to such forms as a bit thing "a little thing."
Wee hours is attested by 1891, from Scot. wee sma' hours (1787, Burns). Wee folk "faeries" is recorded from 1819. Weeny "tiny, small" is from 1790.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Abbreviations & Acronyms
| WEE western equine encephalomyelitis |
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
But the labour worked seven days per week, and into the wee small hours.
Making decisions, even small ones about which shirt or tie to wear, can be challenging in the wee hours.
But seriously, this sort of thing is an excellent opportunity for the world to start pulling together a wee bit.
At night they continued the party into the wee hours online, chatting and flirting.
Nearby Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
