modicum

noun
/ˈmɒdɪkəm/UK/ˈmɑdɪkəm/US

Etymology

From Middle English modicum, from Latin modicum (“a little, a small amount”), a noun use of the neuter form of modicus (“moderate; restrained, temperate; reasonable”) + -cum (suffix forming neuter nouns). Modicus is derived from modus (“a measure; a bound, limit”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to measure”)) + -icus (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). The plural form modica is derived from Latin modica.

  1. derived from modica
  2. derived from *med- — “to measure
  3. derived from modicum — “a little, a small amount
  4. inherited from modicum

Definitions

  1. A modest, small, or trifling amount.

    • Unable to garner even a modicum of support for his plan, he conceded to follow the others.
    • Lo, lo, lo, lo, what modicums of wit he vtters, his euaſions haue ears thus long. I haue bobed his braine more then he has beate my bones.
    • He [Clement of Alexandria] ſhewes alſo that it is better (if a man do drinke) to take wine at ſupper than at dinner, yet a little modicum [...].

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for modicum. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA