μικρός
Alt. μι_κρός, ανδ σμι_κρός, ή, όν
I. "small, little", in point of Size, Hom., etc.; also in point of Quantity, Hes., Ar., etc.
2. in Amount or Importance, "little, petty, trivial, slight", Theogn., Soph., etc.; σμ. τίθησι με makes me "of small account." Soph.; οὐ σμικρὸν φρονεῖ id=Soph.
II. of Time, "little, short", Pind., Ar., etc.; ἐν σμικρῷ (sc. χρόνῳ) "shortly", Xen.
III. Adverbial usages,
1. regul. adv., σμικρῶς, "but little", Sup. σμικρότατα, id=Xen.
2. σμικροῦ or μικροῦ "within a little, almost", id=Xen., Dem.; in full, μικροῦ δεῖ or δεῖν, v. δεῖ II:—but μικροῦ πρίασθαι to buy "for a little, cheap", Xen.
3. μικρῷ "by a little", with the comp., Plat.
4. μικρόν and μικρά, "a little", Xen., Plat.
5. with Preps.,
a. ἐπὶ σμικρόν "but a little", Soph.
b. κατὰ μικρόν "into small pieces", Xen.; so, κατὰ μικρὰ γενόμενοι id=Xen.:— also "little by little", κατὰ μικρὸν ἀεί Ar.
c. παρὰ μικρόν "within a little", παρὰ μ. ἐλθεῖν, c. inf., to be "within an ace" of doing, Eur.
d. μετὰ μικρόν "a little" after, NTest.
IV. besides the regul. comp. and Sup. μικρότερος, -ότατος, there are the irreg. ἐλάσσων, ἐλάχιστος, from ἐλαχύς, and μείων or μειότερος, μειότατος.