Min

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /mɪn/

Definitions

1. A unit of time equal to sixty seconds; an abbreviation commonly used to denote minute or minimal amounts; a prefix indicating something very small or the least amount of something
2. Denoting one sixtieth of an hour used to measure duration; used as a shorthand for minute in various contexts; indicating the smallest possible measurement or degree
3. Representing sixty seconds for timekeeping purposes; an abbreviated form for minute or minimal quantity; a prefix signifying the tiniest or lowest extent of something

Etymology: In Old English, "min" meant "less" or "small," and it is a close relative of Latin "minus," which means the same thing. The two share a Proto-Indo-European root, *mey-, meaning "small, little," so English and Latin are distant cousins through that ancient ancestor. A second, unrelated "min" came from Old English "myne," meaning "mind, intent, desire, love." That word traces back to a Proto-Germanic root for "mind, memory," and Old Norse "minni" ("memory") came from the same stock. From Old Norse "minna," meaning "to bring to mind," Middle English gained "minnen," "to remember." It is related to German "Minne," meaning "love." A much later "min" is a clipping of "minoxidil," the name of a drug, shortened to a three-letter form.

Synonyms: minute, moment, instant, jiffy, second

Antonyms: hour, day, week, month, year