Lexical Definition

‎מְעַט‎ mᵉʻaṭ (meh-at') little ^H:N-M
or מְעָט mᵉʻâṭ (meh-awt'); from ‎מָעַט‎

almost (some, very) few(-er, -est), lightly, little (while), (very) small (matter, thing), some, soon, [idiom] very.

• a little or few (often adverbial or compar.)

1) littleness, few, a little, fewness
1a) little, small, littleness, fewness, too little, yet a little
1b) like a little, within a little, almost, just, hardly, shortly, little worth

See Greek: βραχύς · ἱκανός · μικρός · μικρός · ὀλίγος · ὀλίγος

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎מְעַט‎₁₀₁ substantive a little, fewness, a few; — ‎׳‎‎מ‎ absolute and construct, ‎מְעָ֑ט‎ Isa 10:7 +, plural ‎מְעַטִּים‎ Ps 109:8; Eccl 5:1* —

1. a. Gen 30:30 ‎מעט אשׁר היה לך‎ ‎לְפָנַי‎ the little that thou hadst, Gen 47:9 ‎מעט ורעים היו‎ ‎ימי שׁני חיי‎ few and evil, Lev 25:52; Num 26:54 (compare Num 33:54) ‎וְלַמְעַט תמעיט נחלתו‎ and to the small (few) thou shalt make small his inheritance, vNum 33:56; Num 35:8 ‎וּמֵאֵת ַ˜המְעַט תמעיטו‎, Deut 7:7 ‎וכי אתם ַ˜המְעַט מכלֿ‎ ‎העמים‎ ye are the fewest out of all peoples, 1Sam 14:6 ‎לְהוֺשִׁיעַ בְּרַב אוֺ בִמְעָ֑ט‎, Jer 42:2 ‎כִּי נִשְׁאַרְנוּ מְעַט מֵהַרְבֵּה‎ we are left as few out of many, Ezek 5:3 ‎וְלָקַחְתָּ מִשָּׁם‎ ‎מְעַט בְּמִסְפָּר‎, Hag 1:6 ‎זְרַעְתֶּם הַרְבֵּה וְהָבֵא מְעָ֑ט‎ (compare vHag 1:9), Ps 8:6* ‎ותחסּרהו מעט מאלהים‎, Ps 37:16 ‎טוֺב מְעַט לַצַּדִּיק‎ (compare Prov 15:16; Prov 16:8), 2Chr 29:34 ‎רַק הַכֹּהֲנִים הָיוּ לִמְעָ֑ט‎; as predicate Num 13:18 ‎הַמְעַט הוּא אִםרָֿ֑ב‎, Josh 7:3 ‎כִּי מְעַט‎ ‎הֵמָּה‎, Job 10:20; Ruth 2:7; Neh 7:4; Isa 16:14 ‎וּשְׁאָר מְעַט‎ ‎מִזְעָר‎. — Hos 8:10 ‎וַיָּחֵלּוּ מְעַט‎ and they begin as littleness ( = to be minished) because of, &c.; but read probably (ᵐ5) ‎וְיֶחְדְּלוּ מְעַט מִמְּשֹׁחַ‎ and they shall cease for a little (d) from anointing, etc.
b. as substantive with following genitive, Gen 18:4 ‎מְעַט מַיִם‎ a little of water, Gen 24:17; Gen 24:43, ‎מְעַט אֹכֶל‎ Gen 43:2; Gen 44:25; 1Sam 14:43; 1Sam 17:28 ‎מְעַט הַצּאֹן הָהֵ֫נָּה‎ literally the fewness of those sheep, Prov 6:10 +; as genitive to a previous substantive, ‎מְתֵי מְעָ֑ט‎ men of fewness Deut 26:5; Deut 28:62 in apposition, Isa 10:7 ‎לְהַכְרִית גּוֺיִם לֹא מְעָ֑ט‎, Ezra 9:8 ‎מִחְיָה מְעַט‎, Neh 2:12 ‎וַאֲנָשִׁים מְעַט עִמִּי‎, Eccl 9:4 either genitive or appositive, Eccl 10:1; Dan 11:34 ‎יֵעָֽזְרוּ עֵזֶר מְעָ֑ט‎ with a help of smallness.
c. twice declined as an adjective , Ps 109:8 ‎יִהְיוּ יָמָיו מְעַטִּים‎, Eccl 5:1* ‎עלכֿן יהיו דבריך‎ ‎מְעַטִּים‎.
d. as adverb. accusative, of place, 2Sam 16:1 ‎וְדָוִד עֹבֵר מְעַט‎; of time, Job 10:20 b; of degree, 2Kgs 10:18 ‎אַחְאָב עָבַד אֶתהַֿבַּעַל מְעָ֑ט‎, Ezek 11:16 and have been to them for a sanctuary but little, Zech 1:15 repeated ‎מְעַט מְעַט‎ by little, by little = gradually, Exod 23:30; Deut 7:22.
e. phrases: — a. with the interr. ‎הֲ‎, Gen 30:15 ‎ַ˜המְעַט קַחְתֵּךְ אֶתֿ‎ ‎אִישִׁי וְלָקַחַת‎ was thy taking my husband (too) little? and (wilt thou be) for taking also my son's love-apples? Num 16:9-10 ‎ַ˜המְעַט מִכֶּם כִּי‎ ‎הִבְדִּיל ֗֗֗ וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּם גַּם כְּהֻנָּה‎ is it too little for you that J. hath separated, etc., ... and do ye seek, etc.? vNum 16:13 ‎ַ˜המְעַט כִּי הֶעֱלִיתָנוּ ֗֗֗ כִּי תִשְׂתָּרֵר גַּם הִשְׂתָּרֵר‎, Josh 22:17f. ‎׳‎‎ַ˜המְעַט לָנוּ ֗֗֗ וְאַתֶּם תָּשׁוּבוּ וגו‎, Isa 7:13 ‎׳‎‎ַ˜המְעַט מִכֶּם הַלְאוֺת אֲנָשִׁים כִּי תַּלְאוּ וגו‎ is wearying men too little for you, that you will weary also my God? Ezek 34:18 (as Ew Co AV RV), Job 15:11 ‎ַ˜המְעַט מִמְּךָ תַּנְחוּמוֺת אֵל‎. But Ezek 16:20 (si vera lectio) was it (too) little because of thy whoredom? (was that insufficient for thee? Kö ^{iii. 406 m}). b. ‎׳‎‎עוֺד מְעַט וְ‎, Exod 17:4 ‎עוֺד מְעַט וּסְקָלֻנִי‎ yet a little, and they will stone me, Jer 51:33; Hos 1:4; Ps 37:10 ‎׳‎‎עוֺד מְעַט מִזְעָר וְ‎ Isa 10:25; Isa 29:17 compare Hag 2:6; Job 24:24.

2. ‎כִּמְעַט‎ like a little: hence
a. within a little, almost (compare ὀλίγου), Gen 26:10 ‎כִּמְעַט שָׁכַב ֗֗֗ ‎ almost had lain ..., Ps 73:2 Qr, Ps 94:17; Ps 119:87; Prov 5:14 (all followed by perfect); Ezek 16:47 ‎כִּמְעַט קָט וַתַּשְׁחִתִי מֵהֶן‎ like a little, and thou hadst done more corruptly than they; Song 3:4 ‎כִּמְעַט שֶׁעָבַרְתִּי מֵהֶם‎ = hardly had I passed.
b. with imperfect, just, 2Sam 19:37* ‎כמעט יעבר עבדך‎ just would thy servant pass over; lightly, easily, quickly (compare δἰ ὀλίγου), Ps 2:12 ‎כִּי יִבְעַר כִּמְעַט אַפּוֺ‎, Ps 81:15*; Job 32:22.
c. = shortly, 2Chr 12:7.
d. = little worth, Prov 10:20 ‎כמעט ולב רשׁעים‎. e. pleonastic for ‎מְעַט‎, Isa 1:9 (accents) ‎כִּמְעָ֑ט שָׂרִיר‎ a little remnant, Ps 105:12 (= 1Chr 16:19) ‎כִּמְעַט וְגָרִים בָּהּ‎; ‎כִּמְעַט רֶגַע‎ like the littleness of a moment = for a little moment, Isa 26:20; Ezra 9:8.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References