Not thickly or closely; in a seattered state; as,
seed sown thin. "Spain is
thin sown of people." (Bacon)
1. Having few
thickness or extent from one surface to its opposite; as, a
thin plate of metal;
thin paper; a
thin board; a
thin covering.
2. Rare; not dense or fat; applied to fluids or soft mixtures; as,
thin blood;
thin broth;
thin air. "In the day, when the
air is more thin." (Bacon) "Satan, bowing
low His gray dissimulation, disappeared, Into
thin air diffused." (Milton)
3. Not close; not crowded; not
filling the space; not having the individuals of which the thing is composed in a close or compact state; hence, not abundant; as, the
trees of a
forest are thin; the
cereal or
herb is thin. "Ferrara is very big,
but extremely
thin of people." (Addison)
4. Not
full or
well grown; wanting in plumpness. "Seven
thin ears . . . Blasted with the east wind." (Gen. Xli. 6)
5. Not stout; slim; slender; lean; gaunt; as, a
face becomes
thin by disease.
6. Wanting in
body or volume; little; feeble; not full. "Thin,
hollow sounds, and lamentable screams." (Dryden)
7. Slight; little; slender; flimsy; wanting stuff or
depth or force; superficial; inadequate; not sufficient for a covering; as, a
thin disguise. "My story is done, for my
wit is
but thin." (Chaucer)
Thin is used in the
formation of compounds which are mostly self-explaining; as, thin-faced, thin-lipped, thin-peopled, thin-shelled, and the like. Thin section. See Section.
Origin: OE. Thinne, thenne, thunne, AS. Thynne;
akin to D. Dun, G. Dunn, OHG. Dunni, Icel. Thunnr, Sw. Tunn, Dan. Tynd, Gael. & Ir. Tana, W. Teneu, L. Tenuis, Gr. (in comp) stretched out, stretched, stretched out, long, Skr. Tanu thin, slender;
also to AS. Enian to extend, G. Dehnen, Icel. Enja, Goth. Anjan (in comp), L. Tendere to stretch, tenere to keep, Gr. To stretch, Skr. Tan. 51 & 237. Cf. Attenuate, Dance, Tempt, Tenable, Tend to move, Tenous, Thunder, Tone.
Source: Websters Vocabulary