mickle
Americanadjective
adjective
adverb
noun
-
a great amount, esp in the proverb, mony a little makes a mickle
-
a small amount, esp in the proverb, many a mickle maks a muckle
Etymology
Origin of mickle
First recorded before 900; Middle English mikel, from Old Norse mikill; replacing Middle English michel, Old English micel; cognate with Old High German mihil, Gothic mikils, akin to Latin magnus, Greek mégas. See much
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There’s a Jamaican phrase, “Every mickle mek a muckle,” which means “Every little bit adds up.”
From Time • Jun. 1, 2015
Many a mickle makes a muckle NECESSITY, so the proverb has it, is the mother of invention.
From Economist • Oct. 18, 2012
As in: Mony a mickle wee bits of writing over the years maks "makar" a muckle deal of an honour to find oneself receiving a month after one's 63rd birthday .
From The Guardian • Jan. 25, 2011
He was winning the cruelest of all races, wherein strong heart and mickle courage are the fundamental prerequisites �the Marathon.
From Time Magazine Archive
“She will say, God’s Feet, but my sons are of mickle might!”
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
