wee

1 of 2

adjective

1
: very small : diminutive
2
: very early
wee hours of the morning

WEE

2 of 2

abbreviation

Examples of wee in a Sentence

Adjective He's just a wee lad.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Government shutdown: What to know The latest: The Senate approved a $1.2 trillion spending bill in the wee hours of Saturday morning to prevent a brief partial government shutdown, sending the bill to President Biden to sign into law. Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, Trump’s attorneys produced cell-phone data showing that Wade’s phone was near Willis’s condo late at night and in the wee hours of the morning on some three dozen occasions prior to when the pair say their relationship began. Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2024 Results from ballots cast in-person on election day will start being released sometime after 9 p.m., with updates coming into the wee hours. Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 Dancing on sugar-sand beaches until the wee hours of the morning, sipping fresh coconuts on hammocks in palm tree groves, and vibing to that earthy, boho aesthetic are now integral to the Tulum experience. Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 3 Mar. 2024 This is because all a packing cube does is smoosh your belongings and yet the wee bit of space freed up from the smooshing isn’t enough to compensate for what your clothes will look like after they’re freed from captivity. Sherry Kuehl, Kansas City Star, 28 Feb. 2024 Pair it with simple gold jewelry and strappy heels for a look that will easily take you from the ceremony to the wee hours of the after-party. Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024 So, unless there’s an agreement, the Senate couldn’t vote on final passage of the bill until Monday night after 7 pm et or so… or… in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. Chad Pergram, Fox News, 8 Feb. 2024 Haigh then cuts to Adam sitting on his couch, eating junk food and watching junk TV until the wee hours. Lisa Rosen, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wee.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English we, from we, noun, little bit, from Old English wǣge weight; akin to Old English wegan to move, weigh — more at way

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wee was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near wee

Cite this Entry

“Wee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wee. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wee

adjective
1
: very small : tiny
2
: very early
the wee hours of the morning

Medical Definition

WEE

abbreviation
western equine encephalitis; western equine encephalomyelitis

More from Merriam-Webster on wee

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