little

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• adjective Small in size.
• adjective Small in quantity or extent: synonym: small.
• adjective Short in extent or duration; brief.
• adjective Unimportant; trivial.
• adjective Narrow; petty.
• adjective Having scant power or influence; of minor status.
• adjective Being at an early stage of growth; young.
• adjective Younger or youngest. Used especially of a sibling.
• adverb Not much; scarcely.
• adverb Not in the least; not at all.
• noun A small quantity or amount.
• noun Something much less than all.
• noun A short distance or time.
• idiom (a little) Somewhat; a bit.
• idiom (little by little) By small degrees or increments; gradually.

from The Century Dictionary.

• Not large or much.
• Not large in number; having few constituent, members or parts: as, a little army or fleet; a little city.
• Not much; of small amount, quantity, or degree; restricted; limited: as, a little food or drink; little joy or happiness; little influence.
• Not of great extent or duration; not long; short in space or time; brief: as, a little way or distance; a little while.
• Not great; small in consideration, dignity, consequence, etc.; petty; inconsiderable; insignificant: as, a little office; little affairs; a little accident.
• Hence— Petty in character; mean; narrow; wanting breadth or largeness: as, a little soul or mind.
• Synonyms Minute, tiny.
• and Scanty, slender, moderate.
• Insignificant, contemptible, weak. See littleness.
• noun A small quantity, amount, space, or the like.
• In a small quantity or degree; not much; slightly.
• To become little or less.
• To make less. Compare belittle.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• adverb In a small quantity or degree; not much; slightly; somewhat; -- often with a preceding it.
• adjective Small in size or extent; not big; diminutive; -- opposed to big or large
• adjective Short in duration; brief.
• adjective Small in quantity or amount; not much
• adjective Small in dignity, power, or importance; not great; insignificant; contemptible.
• adjective Small in force or efficiency; not strong; weak; slight; inconsiderable
• adjective Small in extent of views or sympathies; narrow; shallow; contracted; mean; illiberal; ungenerous.
• adjective (Zoöl.) See Chief hare.
• adjective an Englishman opposed to territorial expansion of the British Empire. See Antiimperialism, above.
• adjective the fourth and smallest finger of the hand.
• adjective (Eng. Universities) a public examination about the middle of the course, which is less strict and important than the final one; -- called also smalls. Cf. Great go, under Great.
• adjective (R. C. Ch.) the offices of prime, tierce, sext, and nones. Vespers and compline are sometimes included.
• adjective (Zoöl.) the quahog, or round clam.
• adjective young children.
• noun That which is little; a small quantity, amount, space, or the like.
• noun A small degree or scale; miniature.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• adjective Small in size.
• adjective Insignificant, trivial.