Lexical Definition

‎מָעַט‎ mâʻaṭ (maw-at') to diminish ^H:V
a primitive root

suffer to decrease, diminish, (be, [idiom] borrow a, give, make) few (in number, -ness), gather least (little), be (seem) little, ([idiom] give the) less, be minished, bring to nothing.

• properly, to pare off, i.e. lessen
• intransitively, to be (or causatively, to make) small or few (or figuratively, ineffective)

1) to be or become small, be few, be diminished
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to diminish
1a2) to be too small
1b) (Piel) to become few
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to make small, make few, diminish
1c2) to give less

See Greek: ἐκλείπω · ἐλάσσων · ἐλαττονέω · ἐλαττόω · μικρός · ὀλίγος · ὀλίγος

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[‎מָעַט‎] verb be or become small, diminished, few (Late Hebrew, Talmud, id.; Arabic is to be without hair on the body) —

Qal Imperfect ‎יִמְעַט‎ Exod 12:4, 2 masculine plural ‎תִּמְעָ֑טוּ‎ Jer 29:6, 3 masculine plural ‎יִמְעָ֑טוּ‎ Isa 21:17 +, ‎וַיִּמְעֲטוּ‎ Ps 107:39 Infinitive ‎מְעֹט‎ Lev 25:16 — Exod 12:4 ‎אִסיִֿמְעַט הַבַּיִת מִהְיוֺת מִשֶּׂה‎ if the house be too small for a lamb; Neh 9:32 ‎אַליִֿמְעַט לְפָנֶיךָ‎ ‎אֵת כָּלהַֿתְּלָאָה‎ (compare Ges^{«GKC:117l»§ 117l}); of a people, Jer 29:6 ‎וּרְבוּ שָׁם וְאַלתִּֿמְעָ֑טוּ‎ and become not few, Jer 30:19 ‎וְהִרְבִּתִים וְלֹא יִמְעָ֔טוּ‎, Isa 21:17; Ps 107:39; Prov 13:11 ‎הוֺן מֵהֶבֶל יִמְעָ֑ט‎ diminishes (opposed to ‎יַרְבֶּה‎); Lev 25:16 ‎וּלְפִי מְעֹט הַשָּׁנִים‎ according to the fewness of the years. Pi`el become few (Ges<sup>«GKC:52k»§ 52k</sup>), Perfect 3 plural Eccl 12:3 ‎וּבָֽטְלוּ‎ ‎הַטֹּחֲנוֺת כִּי מִעֵ֔טוּ‎. Hiph`il Perfect 3 feminine singular consecutive ‎וְהִמְעִ֫יטָה‎ (Ges^{«GKC:49k»§ 49k}), Lev 26:22, 1 singular with suffix ‎וְהִמְעַטְתִּים‎ Ezek 29:15 Imperfect 2 masculine singular ‎תַּמְעִיט‎ Lev 25:16, ‎תַּמְעִטֵ֫נִי‎ Jer 10:34, 2 feminine singular ‎תַּמְעִ֫יטִי‎ 2Kgs 4:3, etc.; — make small or few, diminish:
a. Lev 26:22 (of the sword) ‎וְהִמְעִ֫יטָה‎ ‎אֶתְכֶם‎, Ezek 29:15 ‎וְהִמְעַטְתִּים‎, Jer 10:24 ‎אַלבְּֿאַפְּךָ פֶּןֿ‎ ‎תַּמְעִטֵנִי‎ lest thou make me (the people) small, Ps 107:38 ‎וּבְהֶמְתָּם לֹא יַמְעִיט‎; Lev 25:16 ‎וּלְפִי מְעֹט‎ ‎הַשָּׁנִים תַּמְעִיט מִקְנָתוֺ‎ according to the smallness (fewness) of the years, thou shalt make small its price, Num 26:54 ‎לָרַב תַּרְבֶּה נַחֲלָתוֺ וְלַמְעַט תַּמְעִיט‎ ‎נַחֲלָתוֺ‎ and to the small (few) thou shalt make small his inheritance (so Num 33:54).
b. qualifying an action (sometimes to be understood from the context), Exod 16:17 ‎וַיִּלְקְטוּ הַמַּרְבֶּה וְהַמַּמְעִיט‎ and they gathered, he that made much, and he that made little (that is ‎לִלְקֹט‎), vExod 16:18; Num 11:32 ‎עשׂרה חמרים הממעיט אסף‎, 2Kgs 4:3 ‎כֵּלִים רֵקִים אַלתַּֿמְעִיטִי‎ empty vessels make not few (that is, in borrowing); Exod 30:15 ‎הֶעָשִׁיר לֹא יַרְבֶּה וְהַדַּל לֹא יַמְעִיט מִמַּחֲצִית הַשָּׁ֑קֶל‎ ‎׳‎‎לָתֵת וגו‎ shall not diminish from the half shekel to give, i.e. shall not give less, Num 35:8 ‎מֵאֵת‎ ‎הָרַב תַּרְבּוּ וּמֵאֵת הַמְעַט תַּמְעִיטוּ‎ and from the few ye shall make few (that is ‎לָתֵת‎), i.e. ye shall give few (cities).

Brown-Driver-Briggs References