least

adj

1. Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.

   “least common multiple”

   “Of two ils chose the least, while choise lyeth in lot.”

   “At the end of it [a passage], tovvards the theatre, 'tis lighted by a ſmall candle, the light of vvhich is almoſt loſt before you get half-vvay dovvn, but near the door—'tis more for ornament than uſe: you ſee it as a fix'd ſtar of the leaſt magnitude; it burns—but does little good to the vvorld, that vve knovv of.”

   “[T]he least part of the work of any sound art-teacher must be his talking.”

2. Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.

   “least weasel”

   “The firſt is a very ſlender plant hauing a fevve ſmall leaues like the leaſt Chickvveede, grovving in little tufts, from the midſt vvhereof riſeth vp a ſmall ſtalke, nine inches long; […]”

   “[T]he floures of a purple colour, ſpotted on the inſide vvith vvhite, and of a brighter purple than the reſt of the floure, faſhioned like the ſmallest Anirrhinum, or leaſt Snapdragon, […]”

3. (archaic)Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.

   “[M]ans reaſon is ſo farre off from being the meaſurer of faith, vvhich very far exceedeth nature, that it is not ſo much as the meaſurer of nature, & of the leaſt creatures vvhich lie farre vnderneath man; becauſe of the ignorance and vntovvardnes vvhich is in vs and raigneth in vs.”

   “But if I thriue, the gaine of my attempt, / The leaſt of you, ſhall ſhare his part thereof.”

   “And thou Bethlehem in the land of Juda, art not the leaſt among the Princes of Juda: for out of thee ſhall come a Gouernour, that ſhall rule my people Iſrael.”

   “Chiefly, vvhen this ſure ioy ſhall crovvne our ſide, / That the leaſt man, that falles vpon our party / This day […] / Shall vvalke at pleaſure, in the tents of reſt; […]”

   “Take the least man of all mankind, as I; / Look at his head and heart, find how and why / He differs from his fellows utterly: […]”

4. (obsolete)Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.

det

1. Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.

   “He earns the least money in his family.”

   “Of all the sisters, she has the least patience.”

   “Th' Italian Chiefs, and Princes, joyn their Povv'rs: / Nor leaſt in Number, nor in Name the laſt, / Your ovvn brave Subjects have your Cauſe embrac'd.”

   “She begg'd I vvould try a ſingle pair [of gloves], vvhich ſeemed to be the leaſt—She held it open—my hand ſlipp'd into it at once— […]”

   “The least water we could find there was 4 fathoms, which bears from the point S.E., and is distant 1½ mile.”

2. Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.

   “Whichever queue contains the least items by the time this logic branch is reached will be executed first.”

3. Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.

   “not even the least amount”

   “It is indicative of his true character that he could not manage to show even the least bit of courtesy in such a situation.”

   “My ſelfe an vtter ſtranger, one from vvhom / You neuer had, or can expect leaſt good.”

   “So vvithout leaſt impulſe or ſhadovv of Fate, / Or aught by me immutablie foreſeen, / They treſpaſs, Authors to themſelves in all / Both vvhat they judge and vvhat they chooſe; […]”

   “[H]e came alone; neither did any man meet him vvith the leaſt incouragement.”

adv

1. (negative, superlative)In a degree below all others; in the lowest or smallest degree.

   “My best routine was the one I had practised the least.”

   “I don’t much like housework, and doing the dishes least of all.”

   “That decision rewards those who least deserve it.”

2. (negative, superlative)Used to form superlatives of adjectives, especially those that do not form the superlative by adding -est.

   “It was the least surprising thing.”

noun

1. Preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little; the lowest-ranking or most insignificant person or (sometimes) group of people.

   “even the least of”

   “The pastor preached that even the least of God’s creatures deserves freedom from needless or idle cruelty.”

   “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto me.”

2. Something of the smallest possible extent; an indivisible unit; a minimum.

pron

1. Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little; the smallest amount or extent of something.

   “I’m giving least of all towards her present.”

   “To have demolished and rebuilt the walls, would have been a very costly expedient, and as the least of two evils, the painter's brush was resorted to; here and there however, above some of the windows, the black wreathings of the smoke are still discernible through the white covering.”

prep_phrase

1. (informal, nonstandard)At least.

   ““Why he took and dipped his hand in a rotten stump where the rain water was.” “In the day time?” “Certainly.” “With his face to the stump?” “Yes. Least I reckon so.””

   “What a stupid white privileged POS I am! Least I call myself out.”