dial. and colloq. An emphasized form of TINY; esp. in childish use. Also in comb. teeny-tiny, teeny-weeny.
1835. A. B. Longstreet, Georgia Scenes, 209. Her dater Lucy was the littlest teeny bit of a thing when it was born I ever did see.
184778. Halliwell, Teeny. (1) Tiny; very small. North.
1867. New Comical Nursery Rhymes, 157. With a teeny-tiny thump It broke her teeny nose.
1888. R. Boldrewood, Robbery under Arms, li. All the small, teeny bits of a mans life.
1889. Lewis Carroll, Sylvie & Bruno, xvii. Such delicious tiny music it was! Such teeny-tiny music!
1894. Baring-Gould, Queen of L., I. 32. I am a teeny-weeny mite.
1905. Elinor Glyn, Viciss. Evangeline, 85. He did look such a teeny shrimp, climbing after me!
1922. W. De la Mare, Berries, in Down-adown-derry, 57.
Twelve jolly gallipots | |
Jill put by; | |
And one little teeny one, | |
One inch high. |