Definition of Minuscule

1. Noun. The characters that were once kept in bottom half of a compositor's type case.

Exact synonyms: Lower-case Letter, Lowercase, Small Letter
Generic synonyms: Character, Grapheme, Graphic Symbol
Antonyms: Uppercase

2. Adjective. Of or relating to a small cursive script developed from uncial; 7th to 9th centuries.
Exact synonyms: Minuscular
Also: Lowercase
Antonyms: Majuscule

3. Noun. A small cursive script developed from uncial between the 7th and 9th centuries and used in medieval manuscripts.
Generic synonyms: Cursive, Cursive Script, Longhand, Running Hand
Derivative terms: Minuscular

4. Adjective. Lowercase. "E.e.cummings's poetry is written all in minuscule letters"
Exact synonyms: Little, Small
Similar to: Lowercase

5. Adjective. Very small. "A minuscule amount of rain fell"
Exact synonyms: Miniscule
Similar to: Little, Small

Definition of Minuscule

1. n. Any very small, minute object.

Definition of Minuscule

1. Noun. A lower-case letter. ¹

2. Noun. Any of the two medieval handwriting styles minuscule cursive and Caroline minuscule. ¹

3. Noun. A letter in these styles. ¹

4. Adjective. Written in minuscules, lower-case. ¹

5. Adjective. Written in minuscule handwriting style. ¹

6. Adjective. Very small, tiny. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Minuscule

1. [n -S]

Medical Definition of Minuscule

1. 1. Any very small, minute object. 2. A small Roman letter which is neither capital nor uncial; a manuscript written in such letters. Of the size and style of minuscules; written in minuscules. "These minuscule letters are cursive forms of the earlier uncials." (I. Taylor (The Alphabet)) Origin: L. Minusculus rather small, fr. Minus less: cf. F. Minuscule. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Minuscule

minuend
minuends
minuet
minuetlike
minuets
minuity
minus
minus-plus sign
minus-plus signs
minus-strand nucleic acid
minus lens
minus sign
minus signs
minus strand
minuscular
minuscule (current term)
minusculely
minuscules
minuses
minutary
minute book
minute gun
minute hand
minute hands
minute mutant
minute of angle
minute of arc
minute output
minute repeater

Literary usage of Minuscule

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. The Encyclopedia Americana: A Library of Universal Knowledge (1919)
"Toward the end of the 9th or the beginning of the 10th century, the minuscule writing was well established and the uncial was in disuse, except for church- ..."

2. The Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and General by Thomas Spencer Baynes (1888)
"Through the 14th and 15th centuries the decline of the set minuscule rapidly ... In these 'Tellum liturgical MSS. the more formal style of the minuscule was ..."

3. The Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and (1911)
"2 6); and it appears in the epitome of Livy of the 3rd century found at Oxyrhynchus, in which minuscule letters are interspersed among the uncial text. ..."

4. Letters & Lettering: A Treatise with 200 Examples by Frank Chouteau Brown (1902)
"... Moreover modern designers are showing a welcome attention to minuscule letters, and it even seems possible that before long some small letter forms that ..."

5. The Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the by Charles George Herbermann (1913)
"In these MSS. are found the various kinds of ancient writing: the epigraphic capital, the rustic capital, the uncial, the half-uncial, and the minuscule. ..."

Other Resources:

Search for Minuscule on Dictionary.com!Search for Minuscule on Thesaurus.com!Search for Minuscule on Google!Search for Minuscule on Wikipedia!

Search