measly

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word measly. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word measly, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say measly in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word measly you have here. The definition of the word measly will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofmeasly, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

English

A child with measles

Etymology

From measle (singular of measles) +‎ -y; the word measle is either from Middle Dutch masel (a blister filled with blood; a pustule, a skin blemish), or Middle Low German masel (a red skin blemish), from Proto-Germanic *masuraz (a knot or scar in wood; a knarl), from *mas-, *mēs- (a spot; a sore; a scar), from Proto-Indo-European *mos- (a skin sore).

Pronunciation

Adjective

measly (comparative measlier, superlative measliest)

  1. Particularly of pigs or pork: infected with larval tapeworms or trichinae (parasitic roundworms).
    • 1847, William Youatt, The Pig: A Treatise on the Breeds, Management, Feeding, and Medical Treatment, of Swine; with Directions for Salting Pork, and Curing Bacon and Hams, page 113:
      Then take five or six apples, pick out the cores and fill up the holes thus made with flour of brimstone; stop up the holes and cast in the apples to the measly hog.
  2. Of a person: infected with measles.
    • 1902, The Epworth Herald:
      A measly boy, he looked like a tramp, probably one of the street boys from the village, just walked up here and made himself at home, and when I told him to leave, he wouldn't.
  3. (figuratively, informal) Small (especially contemptibly small) in amount.
    Synonyms: miserable, paltry, trifling
    For one whole day's work all I was given was twenty measly pounds.
    • 2004, Richard Rizun, Ora, Trafford Publishing, →ISBN:
      The visiting tourists eagerly forked over a measly two dollars per group to their guides as payment for their services. This amount was measly sum to the givers, but a princely sum to the takers.
    • 2010, Marylee Daniel Mitcham, Blacktime Song by Rosalie Wolfe, Strategic Book Publishing, →ISBN, page 127:
      So it wasn't a hotel, as I said in my novel, just a measly motel. But to me it was like the First measly motel, and I remember laughing about the things I was saying straight from my unconscious to both his and God's ear.

Translations

References

Anagrams