adjective
1.
having relatively little extent from one surface or side to the opposite; not thick: thin ice.
2.
of small cross section in comparison with the length; slender: a thin wire.
3.
having little flesh; spare; lean: a thin man.
4.
composed of or containing objects, particles, etc., widely separated; sparse: thin vegetation.
5.
scant; not abundant or plentiful.
6.
of relatively slight consistency or viscosity: thin soup.
7.
rarefied, as air.
8.
without solidity or substance; flimsy: a very thin plot for such a long book.
9.
lacking fullness or volume; weak and shrill: a thin voice.
10.
without force or a sincere effort: a thin smile.
11.
lacking body, richness, or strength: a thin wine.
12.
lacking in chroma; of light tint.
13.
Photography. (of a developed negative) lacking in density or contrast through underdevelopment or underexposure.
adverb
14.
in a thin manner.
15.
sparsely; not densely.
16.
so as to produce something thin: Slice the ham thin.
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Thin
is always a great word to know.
So is talent. Does it mean:
| a style of film prominent in Italy after World War II, characterized by a concern for social issues and often shot on location with untrained actors |
| professional actors collectively, especially star performers |
verb (used with object)
17.
to make thin or thinner (often followed by down, out, etc.).
verb (used without object)
18.
to become thin or thinner; become reduced or diminished (often followed by down, out, off, etc.): The crowd is thinning out.
Origin:
before 900; (adj. and adv.) Middle English thyn(ne), Old English thynne; cognate with Dutch dun, German dünn, Old Norse thunnr; (v.) Middle English thynnen, Old English thynnian, derivative of the adj.; compare Middle Dutch dunnen, Old Norse thynna; akin to Old Irish tana, Latin tenuis thin, Greek tany- long
before 900; (adj. and adv.) Middle English thyn(ne), Old English thynne; cognate with Dutch dun, German dünn, Old Norse thunnr; (v.) Middle English thynnen, Old English thynnian, derivative of the adj.; compare Middle Dutch dunnen, Old Norse thynna; akin to Old Irish tana, Latin tenuis thin, Greek tany- long
Related forms
thin·ly, adverb
thin·ness, noun
o·ver·thin, adjective
o·ver·thin·ly, adverb
o·ver·thin·ness, noun
Synonyms
3. slim, slender, skinny, lank, scrawny. Thin, gaunt, lean, spare agree in referring to one having little flesh. Thin applies often to one in an unnaturally reduced state, as from sickness, overwork, lack of food, or the like: a thin, dirty little waif. Gaunt suggests the angularity of bones prominently displayed in a thin face and body: to look ill and gaunt. Lean usually applies to a person or animal that is naturally thin: looking lean but healthy after an outdoor vacation. Spare implies a muscular leanness with no diminution of vitality: Lincoln was spare in body. 5. meager. 8. weak.
3. slim, slender, skinny, lank, scrawny. Thin, gaunt, lean, spare agree in referring to one having little flesh. Thin applies often to one in an unnaturally reduced state, as from sickness, overwork, lack of food, or the like: a thin, dirty little waif. Gaunt suggests the angularity of bones prominently displayed in a thin face and body: to look ill and gaunt. Lean usually applies to a person or animal that is naturally thin: looking lean but healthy after an outdoor vacation. Spare implies a muscular leanness with no diminution of vitality: Lincoln was spare in body. 5. meager. 8. weak.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To thin
Collins
World English Dictionary
thin (θɪn) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj , thinner, thinnest | |
| 1. | of relatively small extent from one side or surface to the other; fine or narrow |
| 2. | slim or lean |
| 3. | sparsely placed; meagre: thin hair |
| 4. | of relatively low density or viscosity: a thin liquid |
| 5. | weak; poor; insufficient: a thin disguise |
| 6. | (of a photographic negative) having low density, usually insufficient to produce a satisfactory positive |
| 7. | mountaineering a climb or pitch on which the holds are few and small |
| 8. | thin on the ground few in number; scarce |
| —adv | |
| 9. | in order to produce something thin: to cut bread thin |
| —vb , thinner, thinnest, thins, thinning, thinned | |
| 10. | to make or become thin or sparse |
| [Old English thynne; related to Old Frisian thenne, Old Saxon, Old High German thunni, Old Norse thunnr, Latin tenuis thin, Greek teinein to stretch] | |
| 'thinly | |
| —adv | |
| 'thinness | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
thin
O.E. þynne "narrow, lean, scanty," from P.Gmc. *thunnuz, *thunw- (cf. W.Fris. ten, M.L.G. dunne, Du. dun, O.H.G. dunni, Ger. dünn, O.N. þunnr), from PIE *tnus-, *tnwi-, from weak grade of base *ten- "stretch" (cf. L. tenuis "thin, slender;" see tenet).
"These our actors ... were all Spirits, and Are melted into Ayre, into thin Ayre." [Shakespeare, "The Tempest," IV.i.150, 1610]The verb is from O.E. þynnian "to make thin" (cf. Ger. dünnen, Du. dunnen); intrans. sense of "to become less numerous" is attested from 1743; that of "to become thinner" is recorded from 1804. Thin-skinned is attested from 1598; the fig. sense of "touchy" is from 1680.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
thin
In addition to the idioms beginning with thin, also see into thin air; on thin ice; spread oneself too thin; through thick and thin; wear thin.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Example sentences
At first sight, these new materials are simply odd: thin as a hair, transparent and full of holes.
When clouds are thin, they let a large portion of the light through and appear white.
As a result, old skin starts looking thin and wrinkled.
To unmold, run tip of a thin knife between edge of mold and cranberry sauce.
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