Lesser

a. and adv. [A double comparative, f. LESS a. + -ER³.]

  A.  adj.

  1.  = LESS a. Chiefly, and now only, used attrib.

1459.  Inv., in Paston Lett., I. 478. Item, ij. pillowes of lynen clothe of a lasser assyse. Ibid., 487. Item, ij. aundyrys grete, of one sorte. Item, ij., lasse, of anothyr sorte. Item, iij. lesser aundiris.

1552.  Huloet, Beate … a thynge, wherby to make it lesser or thynner.

1561.  T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., I. 29. To offer Sacrifices to spirites, lesser Gods or dead men of honor.

1611.  Bible, Gen. i. 16. The greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night.

1698.  Fryer, Acc. E. India & P., 171. Setting the lesser Lords at variance with their Prince.

1756.  Burke, Subl. & B., IV. xxiv. These lesser and if I may say more domestick virtues.

1787.  Winter, Syst. Husb., 83. The less the height of their descent, the lesser is the resistance they meet with in the air.

1842.  Tennyson, Locksley Hall, 151. Woman is the lesser man.

1863.  Kinglake, Crimea (1876), I. x. 145. The lesser minds gave way to the greater.

1896.  Howells, Impressions & Exp., 259. The lights of lesser craft dipped by, and came and went in the distance.

  ellipt.  1489.  Caxton, Faytes of A., II. xx. 135. Thre other gonnes wherof one grete and two lesser.

1594.  Barnfield, Affect. Sheph., II. lv. For lesser cease, when greater griefes begin.

1660.  Barrow, Euclid, I. iii. To take away the right line BE equal to the lesser A.

1665.  Boyle, Occas. Refl., IV. xiv. The parting with a great Fortune, as freely as with a lesser.

1710.  Prideaux, Orig. Tithes, ii. 61. It must be either for a larger portion, or for a lesser.

1842.  G. P. R. James, Morley Ernstein, I. x. 185. When the lesser of the two scoundrels comes to me, I suppose I am to say that you refuse all apology.

  † b.  Followed by than. Obs.

1579.  Fulke, Heskins’ Parl., 115. This is in nothing lesser then that.

1673.  Ray, Journ. Low C., 40. We judged it [Amsterdam] to be … lesser than one half of London.

1692.  S. Patrick, Answ. Touchstone, 71. In these, none was greater or lesser than another.

1710.  Prideaux, Orig. Tithes, ii. 62. The work and duty of the Christian Priesthood is lesser than was that of the Levitical.

  2.  In special or technical use, opposed to greater. a. Astron. in the names of certain constellations, as the Lesser Bear. † Also lesser circle, a ‘small circle’ of a sphere (obs.). Also Geog. in Lesser Asia (now arch.), Asia Minor. b. Mus. Applied to intervals which are now usually called MINOR. c. in the names of plants and animals. d. Anat. e. For lesser excommunication, line, litany, see the sbs.

  a.  1551, 1727–51.  [see GREATER a. 4 a].

1559.  W. Cunningham, Cosmogr. Glasse, 39. The iiij. lesser Circles, which are the tropicke of Cancer, the tropick of Capricorne, the circle Articke, and the circle Antarticke.

1594.  [see CIRCLE sb. 2 a].

1613.  J. Dennys, Secr. Angling, III. xxi. When cold Boreas … Lookes out from vnderneath the lesser beare.

1676.  Moxon, Tutor Astron. (ed. 3), 221. Canis Minor, the Lesser Dog.

1768.  Hume, National Char., Essays, xx. Throughout … Greece, the Lesser Asia, Sicily [etc.].

  b.  1674, 1727–51.  [see GREATER a. 4 b].

1818.  Busby, Gram. Mus., 323. Lesser Sixth, with Lesser Third.

1855.  Browning, Toccata Galuppi’s, vii. Those lesser thirds so plaintive, sixths diminished, sigh on sigh.

1873.  Bridges, Shorter P., I. xiv. But let the viol lead the melody, With lesser intervals, and plaintive moan Of sinking semitone.

1876.  Stainer & Barrett, Dict. Mus. Terms, Lesser, minor, as: with the lesser third, in the minor key; lesser sixth, a minor sixth.

  c.  1678.  Ray, Willughby’s Ornith., 144. The lesser Reed-Sparrow.

1822.  Couch, in Linnæan Trans., XIV. 75. Lesser forked Hake.

1837.  Macgillivray, Withering’s Brit. Plants (ed. 4), 341. Lesser Cat’s-tail or Reed-mace.

1861.  Miss Pratt, Flower. Pl., V. 190. Common Frog-bit…. This plant was called by the old writers Lesser Water Lily.

  d.  1842.  E. Wilson, Anat. Vade M. (ed. 2), 419. The lesser internal cutaneous nerve or nerve of Wrisberg.

1872.  Mivart, Elem. Anat., 180. The lesser ischiatic notch.

  3.  Comb., as lesser-angled, -sized adjs.

1713.  G. C., Pref. H. More’s Div. Dial., vi. The lesser-sized Bodies.

1889.  Anthony’s Photogr. Bull., II. 4. A longer-focussed and lesser-angled lens.

  † B.  adv. Less. In quot. 1625 = to less purpose. Obs.

1594.  Shaks., Rich. III., III. iv. 54. I thinke there’s neuer a man in Christendome Can lesser hide his loue, or hate, then hee. Ibid. (1611), Cymb., V. v. 187. He (true Knight) No lesser of her Honour confident Then I did truly finde her.

a. 1625.  Fletcher, Laws Candy, II. i. I was an eare-witness When this young man spoke lesser then he acted, And had the souldiers voice to helpe him out.