small time
noun
a circuit of minor theaters giving three or more shows daily.
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small time
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small-time
small-timeadjectiveof modest or insignificant size, importance, or influence.
small time
1 Americannoun
small-time
2
American
[smawl-tahym]
/ ˈsmɔlˈtaɪm /
adjective
small-time
British
adjective
small time
Idioms
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of small time1
An Americanism dating back to 1920–25
Origin of small-time2
First recorded in 1910–15
Vocabulary lists containing small-time
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.
See Examples For:
The challenge is tied to the interval between computational steps: to capture rapid events such as supernova evolution, the simulation must advance in very small time increments.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 16, 2025
“It’s so much in such a small time period.”
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 16, 2023
“As time passed, we realized that when we had that small time to rest, you get a lot of positivity from taking that risk,” Jongyeon said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2023
And also as Sara just approaching people in the world, I've learned in my small time here on this planet as a human that we are all complicated beings.
From Salon ● Feb. 26, 2022
But it isn’t silly, this preoccupation with small time units.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
Relatively small-time real-estate investors — those who own three to nine properties — have been more active than large landlords.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 17, 2026
But critics say that only the small-time players ever get arrested, with the ringleaders most often getting off scot-free.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
Why is USC playing nonleague football games against small-time Division I opponents?
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
In the dot-com bubble, telecom-equipment leaders like Lucent Technologies, which was spun out of AT&T in the mid-1990s, sought to court a new breed of small-time operators created following industry deregulation in the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
In those days he was a small-time thief whose heart was stolen by Veronica Saldivia.
From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
