Bitty

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Consisting of numerous small components or fragments
2. Denoting a quality of being little or divided into tiny parts
3. Made up of numerous tiny fragments ; extremely small or minimal in size

Etymology: "Bitty" is about as plain as English etymology gets: it is simply "bit" with the suffix "-y" added, meaning "made of bits" or consisting of small pieces. The suffix "-y" is an ancient and productive English ending, descending from Old English "-ig" and ultimately carrying the sense "full of" or "having the quality of," as in "stony," "milky," or "sandy." The base word "bit" is itself old, traceable back through Middle English and Old English to Proto-Germanic roots connected with biting and cutting, though the source leaves its exact sense in that early period unclear, so the modern meaning of "a small piece" is the one worth holding onto. Its root is the same stock of Germanic material that gave English "bite," so "bitty" carries a faint echo of something being nipped or cut into fragments.

Synonyms: tiny, small, miniature, little, petite

Antonyms: huge, enormous, massive, large, immense