Small vs Light - What's the difference?

small | light | Related terms |

In obsolete terms the difference between small and light

is that small is to a small extent while light is unchaste, wanton.

In intransitive terms the difference between small and light

is that small is to become small; to dwindle while light is to become ignited; to take fire.

As adjectives the difference between small and light

is that small is not large or big; insignificant; few in numbers or size while light is having light.

As adverbs the difference between small and light

is that small is in a small fashion while light is carrying little.

As nouns the difference between small and light

is that small is any part of something that is smaller or slimmer than the rest, now usually with anatomical reference to the back while light is the natural medium emanating from the Sun and other very hot sources (now recognised as electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength of 400-750 nm), within which vision is possible.

As verbs the difference between small and light

is that small is to make little or less while light is to start (a fire).

As proper nouns the difference between small and light

is that small is {{surname} while Light is {{surname|lang=en}.

small

English

Adjective

(er)

Not large or big; insignificant; few in numbers or size.

* , chapter=5

, title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=Here, in the transept and choir, where the service was being held, one was conscious every moment of an increasing brightness; colours glowing vividly beneath the circular chandeliers, and the rows of small lights on the choristers' desks flashed and sparkled in front of the boys' faces, deep linen collars, and red neckbands.}}

* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-22, volume=407, issue=8841, page=70, magazine=(The Economist)

, title= Engineers of a different kind , passage=Private-equity nabobs bristle at being dubbed mere financiers. Piling debt onto companies’ balance-sheets is only a small part of what leveraged buy-outs are about, they insist. Improving the workings of the businesses they take over is just as core to their calling, if not more so. Much of their pleading is public-relations bluster.}}

(figuratively) Young, as a child.

(writing, incomparable) Minuscule or lowercase, referring to written letters.

Envincing little worth or ability; not large-minded; paltry; mean.

* Carlyle

A true delineation of the smallest man is capable of interesting the greatest man.

Not prolonged in duration; not extended in time; short.

a small space of time

Synonyms

* (not large or big) little, microscopic, minuscule, minute, tiny; see also * little, wee (Scottish), young * (of written letters) lowercase, minuscule

Antonyms

* See also * (not large or big) capital, big, generous (said of an amount of something given), large * adult, grown-up, old * (of written letters) big, capital, majuscule, uppercase

Derived terms

* small arm * small arms * small beer * small calorie * small-cell lung cancer * small change * small claims court * smallclothes * smaller European elm bark beetle * small forward * small fry * smallgoods * smallholder * smallholding * small hours * small intestine * smallish * small-minded * smallmouth * smallmouth bass * smallmouth black bass * smallness * small potatoes * smallpox * smalls * small-scale * small screen * small stuff * smallsword * small talk * small-time * * small wonder * twice as small * twice as small as

Adverb

(er)

In a small fashion.

* (William Shakespeare), (w, A Midsummer Night's Dream) , Act I, scene 2, line 49:

That's all one: you shall play it in a mask, and / you may speak as small as you will.

In or into small pieces.

* 2009 , Ingrid Hoffman, CBS Early Morning for September 28, 2009 (transcription)

That's going to go in there. We've got some chives small chopped as well.

(obsolete) To a small extent.

* (rfdate) (William Shakespeare), Sonnets , "Lucrece", line 1273

It small avails my mood.

Derived terms

* writ small

Noun

(en noun)

Any part of something that is smaller or slimmer than the rest, now usually with anatomical reference to the back.

(UK, in the plural) Underclothes.

Derived terms

* small of the back

Verb

(en verb)

(obsolete) To make little or less.

To become small; to dwindle.

* Thomas Hardy

And smalled till she was nought at all.

Statistics

Anagrams

* malls 100 English basic words 1000 English basic words ----

light

English

Alternative forms

* lite (informal); lyght, lyghte (obsolete) * (l) (Scotland)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) (m), (m), (m), from (etyl) .

Noun

(wikipedia light) (en noun)

(uncountable) The natural medium emanating from the Sun and other very hot sources (now recognised as electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength of 400-750 nm), within which vision is possible.

, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=5 , passage=Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady. She stood for a moment holding her skirt above the grimy steps,

* {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)

, chapter=3 citation , passage=Here the stripped panelling was warmly gold and the pictures, mostly of the English school, were mellow and gentle in the afternoon light .}}

* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-20, volume=408, issue=8845, magazine=(The Economist)

, title= Out of the gloom , passage=[Rural solar plant] schemes are of little help to industry or other heavy users of electricity. Nor is solar power yet as cheap as the grid. For all that, the rapid arrival of electric light' to Indian villages is long overdue. When the national grid suffers its next huge outage, as it did in July 2012 when hundreds of millions were left in the dark, look for specks of ' light in the villages.}}

A source of illumination.

* , chapter=5

, title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=He was thinking; but the glory of the song, the swell from the great organ, the clustered lights , […], the height and vastness of this noble fane, its antiquity and its strength—all these things seemed to have their part as causes of the thrilling emotion that accompanied his thoughts.}}

Spiritual or mental illumination; enlightenment, useful information.

* Shakespeare

He shall never know / That I had any light of this from thee.

Facts; pieces of information; ideas, concepts.

* , Book I, New York 2001, page 166:

Now these notions are twofold, actions or habits […], which are durable lights and notions, which we may use when we will.

A notable person within a specific field or discipline.

* Tennyson

Joan of Arc, a light of ancient France

(painting) The manner in which the light strikes a picture; that part of a picture which represents those objects upon which the light is supposed to fall; the more illuminated part of a landscape or other scene; opposed to shade .

A point of view, or aspect from which a concept, person or thing is regarded.

* South

Frequent consideration of a thing shows it in its several lights and various ways of appearance.

A flame or something used to create fire.

A firework made by filling a case with a substance which burns brilliantly with a white or coloured flame.

a Bengal light

A window, or space for a window in architecture.

The series of squares reserved for the answer to a crossword clue.

(informal) A cross-light in a double acrostic or triple acrostic.

Open view; a visible state or condition; public observation; publicity.

* Shakespeare

The duke yet would have dark deeds darkly answered; he would never bring them to light .

The power of perception by vision.

* Bible, Psalms xxxviii. 10

My strength faileth me; as for the light of my eyes, it also is gone from me.

The brightness of the eye or eyes.

* Shakespeare

He seemed to find his way without his eyes; / For out o'door he went without their helps, / And, to the last, bended their light on me.

A traffic light, or, by extension, an intersection controlled by one.

Synonyms

* (electromagnetic wave perceived by the eye) visible light

Derived terms

* ancient lights * black light * booklight * bring to light * come to light * fanlight * footlight * gaslight * half-light * headlight * hide one's light under a bushel * lamplight * light at the end of the tunnel * light box, lightbox * light bucket * light globe * Light of the World * lightbulb * lighthouse * ! * moonlight * nightlight * searchlight * see the light * skylight * spotlight * strike a light * sunlight * twilight * Very light * white light

Etymology 2

From (etyl) (m), (m), from (etyl) .

Verb

To start (a fire).

We lit the fire to get some heat.

To set fire to; to set burning; to kindle.

She lit her last match.

* Hakewill

if a thousand candles be all lighted from one

* Addison

Absence might cure it, or a second mistress / Light up another flame, and put out this.

To illuminate.

I used my torch to light the way home through the woods in the night.

* F. Harrison

One hundred years ago, to have lit' this theatre as brilliantly as it is now ' lighted would have cost, I suppose, fifty pounds.

* Dryden

The Sun has set, and Vesper, to supply / His absent beams, has lighted up the sky.

To become ignited; to take fire.

This soggy match will not light .

To attend or conduct with a light; to show the way to by means of a light.

* Landor

His bishops lead him forth, and light him on.

Synonyms

* ignite, kindle, conflagrate * (illuminate) illuminate, light up

Antonyms

* extinguish, put out, quench

Derived terms

* light someone's fire * light up * highlight

Etymology 3

From (etyl) (m), (m), (m), from (etyl) . Cognate with (etyl) (m), (etyl) (m).

Adjective

(er)

Having light.

Pale in colour.

, title= Mr. Pratt's Patients, chapter=1 , passage='Twas early June, the new grass was flourishing everywheres, the posies in the yard—peonies and such—in full bloom, the Sun was shining, and the water of the bay was blue, with light green streaks where the shoal showed.}}

(of coffee) Served with extra milk or cream.

Synonyms

* (having light) bright * (pale in colour) pale * : white, with milk, with cream

Derived terms

* light-haired * light-skinned

Etymology 4

From (etyl) .

Adjective

(er)

Of low weight; not heavy.

My bag was much lighter once I had dropped off the books.

* Addison

These weights did not exert their natural gravity insomuch that I could not guess which was light or heavy whilst I held them in my hand.

Lightly-built; designed for speed or small loads.

We took a light aircraft down to the city.

(senseid)Gentle; having little force or momentum.

This artist clearly had a light , flowing touch.

Easy to endure or perform.

light duties around the house

* Dryden

Light sufferings give us leisure to complain.

Low in fat, calories, alcohol, salt, etc.

This light beer still gets you drunk if you have enough of it.

Unimportant, trivial, having little value or significance.

I made some light comment, and we moved on.

travelling with no carriages, wagons attached

(obsolete) Unchaste, wanton.

* 1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , I.i:

Long after lay he musing at her mood, / Much grieu'd to thinke that gentle Dame so light , / For whose defence he was to shed his blood.

* Shakespeare

So do not you; for you are a light girl.

* Shakespeare

A light wife doth make a heavy husband.

Not heavily armed; armed with light weapons.

light''' troops; a troop of '''light horse

Not encumbered; unembarrassed; clear of impediments; hence, active; nimble; swift.

* Francis Bacon

Unmarried men are best friends, best masters but not always best subjects, for they are light to run away.

(dated) Easily influenced by trifling considerations; unsteady; unsettled; volatile.

a light''', vain person; a '''light mind

* Tillotson

There is no greater argument of a light and inconsiderate person than profanely to scoff at religion.

Indulging in, or inclined to, levity; lacking dignity or solemnity; frivolous; airy.

* Shakespeare

Seneca can not be too heavy, nor Plautus too light .

* Hawthorne

specimens of New England humour laboriously light and lamentably mirthful

Not quite sound or normal; somewhat impaired or deranged; dizzy; giddy.

* Shakespeare

Are his wits safe? Is he not light of brain?

Not of the legal, standard, or usual weight; clipped; diminished.

light coin

Synonyms

* (of low weight) * (lightly-built) lightweight * (having little force or momentum) delicate, gentle, soft * lite, lo-cal (low in calories), low-alcohol (low in alcohol) * (having little value or significance) inconsequential, trivial, unimportant

Antonyms

* (of low weight) heavy, weighty * (lightly-built) cumbersome, heavyweight, massive * (having little force or momentum) forceful, heavy, strong * calorific (high in calories), fatty (high in fat), strong (high in alcohol) * (having little value or significance) crucial, important, weighty

Derived terms

* light as a feather * lightness

Adverb

(er)

Carrying little.

I prefer to travel light.

Noun

(en noun)

(curling) A stone that is not thrown hard enough.

Verb

(en verb)

(nautical) To unload a ship, or to jettison material to make it lighter

To lighten; to ease of a burden; to take off.

* Spenser

His mailèd habergeon she did undight, / And from his head his heavy burgonet did light .

Derived terms

* lighter

Etymology 5

(etyl)

Verb

To find by chance.

I lit upon a rare book in a second-hand bookseller's.

(archaic) To alight.

She fell out of the window but luckily lit on her feet.

Synonyms

* (find by chance) chance upon, come upon, find, happen upon, hit upon * (alight) alight, land

Derived terms

* light into * light out

Statistics

* English terms with multiple etymologies 1000 English basic words ----