diminute

English

Etymology

From Middle English diminute, from Latin dīminūtus and Old French diminut.

Pronunciation

Adjective

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɪmɪnjuːt/, /ˈdɪmɪnuːt/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Verb

• IPA^(key): /dɪˈmɪnjuːt/, /dɪˈmɪnuːt/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Adjective

diminute (comparative more diminute, superlative most diminute)

1. (obsolete) Small; diminutive.
   • 1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, “[XXVIII Sermons Preached at Golden Grove; Being for the Summer Half-year, […].] ”, in ΕΝΙΑΥΤΟΣ [Eniautos]. A Course of Sermons for All the Sundays of the Year. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Richard Royston […], published 1654, →OCLC:

     prices made diminute and lessened to such proportions and abatements as that fault should make

Verb

diminute (third-person singular simple present diminutes, present participle diminuting, simple past and past participle diminuted)

1. To reduce, to lessen.

References

• “diminute”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• mutinied

Latin

Participle

dīminūte

1. vocative masculine singular of dīminūtus

References

• "diminute", in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)