wee

1 of 2

adjective

1
: very small : diminutive
2
: very early
wee hours of the morning

WEE

2 of 2

abbreviation

Examples of wee in a Sentence

Adjective He's just a wee lad.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The songs Dylan composes, scrawling the lyrics on notepads, often in the wee hours, consume and define him. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Dec. 2024 In the middle of it all is poor, reasonable civilian Michael, trying to process Sam showing up at his door with half of London’s most wanted and would just like everyone to keep their voices down so as not to wake 4-year-old Ruby in the wee hours. Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024 Unlucky for the wee beast, yes, but the circumstances of its demise proved fortunate for paleontologists: Its body was encased in iron-rich, oxygen-poor sediment that fostered the formation of the mineral pyrite, also called fool’s gold, fossilizing the arthropod in opulent fashion. Christie Wilcox, science.org, 30 Oct. 2024 Know to look out for when Dash bent his wee knees and — well, started to wee? Lizz Schumer, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for wee 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English we, from we, noun, little bit, from Old English wǣge weight; akin to Old English wegan to move, weigh — more at way

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wee was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near wee

Cite this Entry

“Wee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wee. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

wee

adjective
1
: very small : tiny
2
: very early
the wee hours of the morning

Medical Definition

WEE

abbreviation
western equine encephalitis; western equine encephalomyelitis

More from Merriam-Webster on wee

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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