Word origins - 2ed. J. Ayto. 2005.
meagre — mea‧gre [ˈmiːgə ǁ ər] , meager adjective very small in amount: • Sales rose a meager 2.5% in January. • The chairman predicts very meagre growth this year. * * * meagre UK US UK (US meager) /ˈmiːgər/ adjective … Financial and business terms
Meagre — Mea gre, n. [F. maigre.] (Zo[ o]l.) A large European sci[ae]noid fish ({Sci[ae]na umbra} or {Sci[ae]na aquila}), having white bloodless flesh. It is valued as a food fish. [Written also {maigre}.] [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
meagre — British English spelling of MEAGER (Cf. meager) (q.v.); for spelling, see RE (Cf. re) … Etymology dictionary
meagre — is spelt this way in BrE, and usually meager in AmE … Modern English usage
meagre — (US meager) ► ADJECTIVE 1) lacking in quantity or quality. 2) lean; thin. DERIVATIVES meagreness noun. ORIGIN Old French maigre, from Latin macer … English terms dictionary
meagre — mea|gre BrE meager AmE [ˈmi:gə US ər] adj [Date: 1300 1400; : French; Origin: maigre, from Latin macer thin ] a meagre amount of food, money etc is too small and is much less than you need ▪ a meagre diet of bread and beans meagre… … Dictionary of contemporary English
Meagre — Meager Mea ger, Meagre Mea gre, a. [OE. merge, F. maigre, L. macer; akin to D. & G. mager, Icel. magr, and prob. to Gr. makro s long. Cf. {Emaciate}, {Maigre}.] [1913 Webster] 1. Destitue of, or having little, flesh; lean. [1913 Webster] Meager… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
meagre — [[t]mi͟ːgə(r)[/t]] ADJ GRADED (disapproval) If you describe an amount or quantity of something as meagre, you are critical of it because it is very small or not enough. The bank s staff were already angered by a meagre 3.1% pay rise... Their food … English dictionary
meagre — BrE, meager AmE adjective a meagre amount of food, money etc is too small and is much less than you need: meagre wages | a meager diet meagrely adverb meagreness noun (U) … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
Meagre — Meager Mea ger, Meagre Mea gre, v. t. To make lean. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Meagre — Adlerfisch Adlerfisch (Argyrosomus regius) Systematik Teilklasse: Echte Knochenfische (Teleostei) Ordnung … Deutsch Wikipedia
