wee

American  

[wee] / wi /

adjective

weer, weest

1. little; very small.

   Synonyms:

   minuscule, diminutive, tiny

2. very early.

   in the wee hours of the morning.

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wee ¹ British  

/ wiː /

noun

1. 1. the act or an instance of urinating

   2. urine

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verb

1. (intr) to urinate

wee ² British  

/ wiː /

adjective

1. very small; tiny; minute

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noun

1. a short time (esp in the phrase bide a wee. )

Etymology

Origin of wee

before 1150 for an earlier sense; Middle English we, variant of wei (small) quantity, Old English wēg, Anglian form of wǣge weight, akin to wegan to weigh ¹

Example Sentences

Paula says: "She went into her shell for a wee while, she didn't have any confidence, she really didn't know her direction in life."

From BBC

"That horrified me, I just thought these people deserve a wee bit of respect."

From BBC

"He said he was just ringing to discuss the 'wee incident' with my grandmother," Mr Gibson said.

From BBC

One woman told us that she had been a "massive SNP supporter" until a few years ago, but was now "a wee bit homeless" and understood why local people were opting for Reform.

From BBC

In no time, there were conga lines and limbo contests, and by the wee hours, someone always ended up at the emergency room and at least one marriage was in peril.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• microscopic
• teeny