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small print

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fine print

[fahyn]
–noun
1. printed matter in small-sized type.
2. the detailed wording of a contract, lease, insurance policy, or the like, often set in type smaller than the main body of the document and including general restrictions or qualifications that could be considered disadvantageous: Make sure you read the fine print before signing.
Also called small print.


Origin:
1955–60


fine-print, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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fine print   (fīn)   
n.   In both senses also called small print.
  1. The portion of a document, especially a contract, that contains qualifications or restrictions in small type or obscure language.

  2. Something presented in a deliberately ambiguous or obscure manner.

small print  
n.  See fine print.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: fine print
Function: noun
: a part of an agreement or document spelling out restrictions or limitations often in small type or obscure language
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Idioms & Phrases

small print

Also, fine print. The details in a contract or other document, often indicating restrictions or other disadvantages. For example, Be sure you read the small print before you sign your name to it, or They had the warranty terms in fine print, so you'd overlook the fact that it was only good for a month. This idiom alludes to the fact that such material is often printed in smaller type than the rest of the document. [Mid-1900s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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