Definition of the word few. Few definition and meaning 2022-10-21

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Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator who is credited with the discovery of the Americas. Born in the Republic of Genoa in 1451, Columbus was a skilled mariner who had a passion for exploration.

In 1492, Columbus received funding from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain to embark on a journey to find a westward route to Asia. Columbus believed that he could reach Asia by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean, and the Spanish monarchy saw this as an opportunity to expand their empire and increase their trade with the East.

On August 3, 1492, Columbus set sail from Spain with three ships: the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. After a treacherous journey that lasted more than two months, Columbus and his crew landed on an island in the Bahamas on October 12, 1492.

Despite the fact that Columbus had not reached Asia as he had intended, he still considered the voyage a success. He believed that he had discovered a new route to the East and named the islands he encountered the West Indies.

Columbus made three more voyages to the New World, exploring the Caribbean and parts of Central and South America. He brought back gold, spices, and other valuable commodities, which helped to enrich the Spanish monarchy and establish Spain as a major European power.

However, Columbus's legacy is not without controversy. The arrival of Europeans in the Americas had a devastating impact on the indigenous peoples who lived there. Many of them were subjected to violence, enslavement, and diseases brought by the Europeans, which led to a significant decline in their populations.

Despite these negative consequences, Columbus's voyages had a significant impact on the course of history. They opened up the New World to exploration and colonization, which led to the establishment of new trade routes and the exchange of ideas, goods, and people between the Old World and the New.

Overall, Christopher Columbus was a significant figure in history who is remembered for his bravery, determination, and curiosity. His voyages helped to shape the modern world and continue to be celebrated and studied to this day.

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definition of the word few

In its strictest sense, the phrase a of, as in I have a couple of errands to run or They made a couple of mistakes. When it comes to several, well, there are going to be several answers. Depending on the context, the meanings of couple, few, and several, can overlap. A few is generally considered to mean between two and several. Perhaps the most common interpretation or intended sense of several is around three to five, but this can vary greatly depending on the context.


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Couple vs. Few vs. Several: Usage Guide

definition of the word few

Hawking, A Brief History of Time, 1988 Verdict: in common use, several is often more than a couple and a few, though it is sometimes the same as both and occasionally more than a few. When you use few without 'a', you are emphasizing that there are only a small number of people or things of a particular kind. Verdict: couple is used of small numbers most of the time, but usually at least two or more. I would welcome other perspectives on this. . In LSAT world are they of equivalent meaning.

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few

definition of the word few

The fewer still you name, you wound the more; Bond is but one, but Harpax is a score. In informal style, many speakers use less before plural nouns: less books,but never use fewer before noncount nouns; no one would say: fewer money. Sometimes elliptically; not many words. They be but one heire, and yet severall persons. How many is a couple? Yes, meanings: several originally referred to more than one. In many grammar books, fewer and less are opposed.


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What does few. mean?

definition of the word few

The English language is very contextual. Every day, without thinking about it, we all refer to quantities without specifying a number. For example, four cats could be several or a few, depending on the situation, expectations, or other factors. Couple is now understood primarily to refer to two when used as a bare noun "they make a nice couple" , but is often used to refer to a small indeterminate of two or more when used in the phrase a couple of "I had a couple of cups of coffee and now I can't sleep. We are nothing if not helpful, though, so we have taken one common set of words that people often ask about— couple, few, and several—and will offer below some general usage guidelines.

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Few Definition. The meaning of Few

definition of the word few

How many is several? Most commonly, we do this by using terms like a few, a couple, and several. Several initially meant "distinct or separate" in English. Several Usage and History Several came into English in the 1400s, but didn't develop its quantity meanings until the 1500s. This emphasizes that attendance was low. When few is used without a the meaning is "a small amount of; not as many as expected'': Few learners can hope to speak Chinese perfectly. Not many; not in a great number.

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Few

definition of the word few

In use, the connotation of several is that it represents more than a few. The word is from the Latin copula, which means "bond. . On Winter seas we fewer storms behold, Than foul diseases that infect the fold. How many is a few? Thus Jupiter in few unfolds the charge. Interesting jobs are few and far between. Once this broadening of couple began, there was no holding it back.

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Few definition and meaning

definition of the word few

Obviously, a few is on the low end, with several higher, so they overlap somewhere in the middle. One of the gripes lexicographers hear with regularity is that people don't use words precisely or accurately. Its smallness seems to be relative: a quick check of our citation files reveals that the phrase a couple of years ago has been used to refer to everything from one year and change to eight years, though most of the time the phrase seems to be used of three or four years when we can verify dates. Many such complaints, however, are guided by the assumption that we're the ones who should enforce precise usage rather than what we really do, which is record the actual usage of words, even when that usage is considered wrong, loose, or otherwise. So, for example, if you say 'I have a few friends', you are simply saying that you have some friends. What to Know Couple is used to refer to two things, but is also often used for a small number greater than two.

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Few Definition & Meaning

definition of the word few

George Berkeley, to Pope. How many couples are in this stock photo search result for 'a few'? Most people would probably agree that even though a few and a couple are commonly used interchangeably, a few more commonly refers to higher quantities than a couple does. When few is used with a noun, the noun is plural: few speakers; a few speakers; quite a few speakers. In neither case can you definitely say that few refers to a number between, say, 3 and 10. Party is the madness of many, for the gain of a few.

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What does few mean?

definition of the word few

The key word here is comparatively. Note also the slight difference in meaning between few and a few. Few is contrasted with many, but both are scalable quantities. We hope that not a few of you were able to make sense of it all. Some people use a few to mean around three, but this is not a universal interpretation. So much the thirst of honour fires the blood; So many would be great, so few be good; For who would virtue for herself regard, Or wed without the portion of reward? Remember that we want to interpret language in a minimalistic way. However, if you say 'I have few friends', you are saying that you do not have enough friends and are lonely.

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