Lesser

Lesser
Lesser Less"er (l[e^]s"[~e]r), a. [This word is formed by adding anew the compar. suffix -er (in which r is from an original s) to less. See {Less}, a.] Less; smaller; inferior. [1913 Webster]

God made . . . the lesser light to rule the night. --Gen. i. 15. [1913 Webster]

Note: Lesser is used for less, now the compar. of little, in certain special instances in which its employment has become established by custom; as, Lesser Asia (i. e., Asia Minor), the lesser light, and some others; also in poetry, for the sake of the meter, and in prose where its use renders the passage more euphonious. [1913 Webster]

The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

The larger here, and there the lesser lambs. --Pope. [1913 Webster]

By the same reason may a man, in the state of nature, punish the lesser breaches of the law. --Locke. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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Synonyms:
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  • Lesser — (vom hebräischen Wort „Eliezer“ (אֱלִיעֶזֶר dt. Hilfe/Gerichtshof meines Gottes) ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Aleksander Lesser (1814–1884), polnischer Maler und Kritiker Anton Lesser (* 1952), englischer Schauspieler Axel Lesser (*… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Lesser — is a surname, and may refer to* Gabriele Lesser, German journalist * George Lesser, American musician * J Lesser aka Lesser, IDM musician * Matt Lesser, Connecticut politician * Oskar Lesser, German astronomer * Rika Lesser, American poet * Anton …   Wikipedia

  • lesser — less·er / le sər/ adj: of less size, quality, degree, or significance; specif: of lower criminal liability duress has been held a good defense to such lesser crimes as robbery, burglary and malicious mischief W. R. LaFave and A. W. Scott, Jr.… …   Law dictionary

  • lesser — (adj.) early 13c., a double comparative, from LESS (Cf. less) + ER (Cf. er) (2). Johnson calls it a barbarous corruption of less, formed by the vulgar from the habit of terminating comparatives in er. As an adverb from 1590s; now generally poetic …   Etymology dictionary

  • Lesser — Less er, adv. Less. [Obs.] Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • lesser — smaller, *less, fewer Antonyms: major …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • lesser — see less 3 …   Modern English usage

  • lesser — [adj] inferior, secondary a notch under*, bottom, bush, bush league*, dinky*, insignificant, less important, low, lower, minor, minorleague*, nether, second fiddle*, second string*, slighter, small, small fry*, small time*, subjacent, subordinate …   New thesaurus

  • lesser — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ not so great, large, or important as the other or the rest …   English terms dictionary

  • lesser — [les′ər] adj. [ LESS + ER] 1. alt. compar. of LITTLE 2. smaller, less, or less important adv. less …   English World dictionary

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