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minim

noun
min·​im | \ ˈmi-nÉ™m How to pronounce minim (audio) \

Definition of minim

1 : half note
2 : something very minute
3 : a unit of capacity equal to ¹/₆₀ fluid dram — see Weights and Measures Table
Other Words from minim Did You Know? Learn More about minim

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Other Words from minim

minim adjective

Did You Know?

Minim derives from the Latin word minimus, meaning "least" or "smallest." Musicians were the first to note its significance in the 15th century as a word for the half note. Chirographers soon adopted it as a word for a single downstroke in penmanship (such as any of the three in the letter m), and after careful analysis, apothecaries prescribed "minim" as a word for their smallest unit of liquid capacity. English speakers have also embraced "minim" as a general noun referring to things that are very small and as an adjective meaning "of the smallest size," as in "a minim amount."

First Known Use of minim

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for minim

Latin minimus least

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More Definitions for minim

minim

noun
min·​im | \ ˈmin-É™m How to pronounce minim (audio) \

Medical Definition of minim

: either of two units of capacity equal to ¹/₆₀ fluid dram:
a : a United States unit of liquid capacity equivalent to 0.003760 cubic inch or 0.061610 milliliter
b : a British unit of liquid capacity and dry measure equivalent to 0.003612 cubic inch or 0.059194 milliliter

More from Merriam-Webster on minim

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about minim

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