definitions

smidgen

or smid·gin, smid·geon

[ smij-uh n ]
/ ˈsmɪdʒ ən /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR smidgen ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a very small amount: a smidgen of jam for your toast.

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RELATED WORDS

whiff, morsel, iota, sliver, particle, dash, crumb, speck, trace, taste, pinch, scintilla, drop, dab, shard, fragment, shred, grain, fraction, atom

Nearby words

smetana, smethwick, smew, smicker, smidge, smidgen, smiercase, smilacaceous, smilax, smile, smile on

Origin of smidgen

First recorded in 1835–45; origin uncertain
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for smidgen

British Dictionary definitions for smidgen

smidgen

smidgin

/ (ˈsmɪdʒən) /

noun

informal a very small amount or part

Word Origin for smidgen

C20: of obscure origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for smidgen

smidgen

n.

1845, perhaps from Scottish smitch "very small amount; small insignificant person" (1822). Cf. Northumbrian dialectal smiddum "small particle of lead ore" (1821).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper