thinness

Main Entry:: ¹thin
Pronunciation:: \ˈthin\
Function:: adjective
Inflected Form(s):: thin·ner; thin·nest
Etymology:: Middle English thinne, from Old English thynne; akin to Old High German dunni thin, Latin tenuis thin, tenēre to hold, tendere to stretch, Greek teinein
Date:: before 12th century

1 a: having little extent from one surface to its opposite <thin paper> b: measuring little in cross section or diameter <thin rope>2: not dense in arrangement or distribution <thin hair>3: not well fleshed : lean4 a: more fluid or rarefied than normal <thin air> b: having less than the usual number : scanty <thin attendance> c: few in number : scarce d: scantily supplied e: characterized by a paucity of bids or offerings <a thin market>5 a: lacking substance or strength <thin broth> <a thin plot> bof a soil : infertile , poor6 a: flimsy , unconvincing <a thin disguise> b: disappointingly poor or hard <had a thin time of it>7: somewhat feeble, shrill, and lacking in resonance <a thin voice>8: lacking in intensity or brilliance <thin light>9: lacking sufficient photographic density or contrast

— thin·ly adverb

— thin·ness

\ˈthin-nəs\ noun

— thin·nish

\ˈthi-nish\ adjective

— thin on the ground

: scarce 1

synonyms thin , slender , slim , slight , tenuous mean not thick, broad, abundant, or dense. thin implies comparatively little extension between surfaces or in diameter, or it may imply lack of substance, richness, or abundance <thin wire> <a thin soup>. slender implies leanness or spareness often with grace and good proportion <the slender legs of a Sheraton chair>. slim applies to slenderness that suggests fragility or scantiness <a slim volume of poetry> <a slim chance>. slight implies smallness as well as thinness <a slight build>. tenuous implies extreme thinness, sheerness, or lack of substance and firmness <a tenuous thread>.

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