little

adjective

1. Small, not large, limited, particularly:

   “This is a little table.”

2. Small, limited in size.

   “This is a little table.”

3. Short, limited in extent.

   “It’s only a little ways now.”

4. Brief, limited in duration.

   “I always feel better after a little sleep.”

adverb

1. Not much.

   “This is a little-known fact: the new model is little faster than the old one.”

2. Not at all.

   “Little did he know that the burglar was creeping upstairs at that very moment.”

determiner

1. Not much, only a little: only a small amount (of).

   “There is (very) little water left.”

pronoun

1. Not much; not a large amount.

   “Little is known about his early life.”

noun

1. A small amount.

   “I hope the little we've done will be useful.”

2. A child, particularly an infant.

3. An adult in a child-like role, or in the more junior of two paired roles.

4. A newly initiated member of a sorority or fraternity, who is mentored by a big.