Fewer

Fewer
Few Few (f[=u]), a. [Compar. {Fewer} (f[=u]"[~e]r); superl. {Fewest}.] [OE. fewe, feawe, AS. fe['a], pl. fe['a]we; akin to OS. f[=a]h, OHG. f[=o] fao, Icel. f[=a]r, Sw. f[*a], pl., Dan. faa, pl., Goth. faus, L. paucus, cf. Gr. pay^ros. Cf. {Paucity}.] Not many; small, limited, or confined in number; -- indicating a small portion of units or individuals constituting a whole; often, by ellipsis of a noun, a few people. ``Are not my days few?'' --Job x. 20. [1913 Webster]

Few know and fewer care. --Proverb. [1913 Webster]

Note: Few is often used partitively; as, few of them. [1913 Webster]

{A few}, a small number.

{In few}, in a few words; briefly. --Shak.

{No few}, not few; more than a few; many. --Cowper.

{The few}, the minority; -- opposed to the many or the majority. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • fewer — fewer, less As a general guide, fewer is used with plural nouns (fewer books, fewer people) and indicates number, whereas less is used with singular nouns and indicates amount (less money / less happiness). However, there is an extensive no man s …   Modern English usage

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

  • fewer — adjective (comparative of few used with count nouns) quantifier meaning a smaller number of (Freq. 11) fewer birds came this year the birds are fewer this year fewer trains were late • Ant: ↑more • Similar to: ↑l …   Useful english dictionary

  • fewer — /fyooh euhr/, adj. 1. of a smaller number: fewer words and more action. pron. 2. (used with a pl. v.) a smaller number: Fewer have come than we hoped. [ME fewere, OE *feawran. See FEW, ER4] Usage. See less. * * * …   Universalium

  • fewer — few•er [[t]ˈfyu ər[/t]] adj. 1) of a smaller number: fewer words and more action[/ex] 2) fun (used with a pl. v.) a smaller number: Fewer have come than we hoped[/ex] • Etymology: ME fewere, OE usage: See less …   From formal English to slang

  • fewer — See fewer, less …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • fewer / less —    Fewer should be used when talking about things that can be counted: Lureen has fewer ideas than you; also a few keys, few clouds, few values, few diseases.    Less is used when talking about things that can t be counted: Lureen shows less… …   Confused words

  • fewer / less —    Fewer should be used when talking about things that can be counted: Lureen has fewer ideas than you; also a few keys, few clouds, few values, few diseases.    Less is used when talking about things that can t be counted: Lureen shows less… …   Confused words

  • fewer, less —     In the first four months of the year Rome s tourists were 700,000 less than in the corresponding period last year (Guardian). Probably no other pair of words causes more problems, and with less justification, than less and fewer. The… …   Dictionary of troublesome word

  • fewer vs less —   Everyone gets this wrong including native speakers. The general rule is to use fewer for things you can count (individually), and less for things you can only measure   For example:   There were fewer people in the class than usual. (People can …   English dictionary of common mistakes and confusing words

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