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minute
in a sentence
grouped by contextual meaning

minute as in:  minute size

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Don't eat a lot of poppy seeds for a few days before a drug test. They have a minute amount of a chemical that can cause a false positive when testing for heroin use.
minute = tiny
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  • •
    Even a minute amount of lead can be harmful to children.
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    Tiny fringes of hair, minute claws, jointed legs.  (source)
    minute = small
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    Her earrings were minute bunches of grapes, pearl also but with gold stems and leaves.  (source)
    minute = very small
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Show 10 more with 4 word variations
  • •
    It was the kind of box wedding rings came in, purple velvet with a minute catch.  (source)
    minute = tiny
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    He recounted everything that he could recall, down to the minutest and most inconsequential observation, proud of the information that he had gathered.  (source)
    minutest = smallest
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    I reached forward, without thinking, to touch his folded hands, but he slid them away minutely, and I pulled my hand back.  (source)
    minutely = slightly
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    Every day a messenger brought him a despatch from Sanballat, in charge of the big commerce behind; and every day a despatch left him for Sanballat with directions of such minuteness of detail as to exclude all judgment save his own, and all chances except those the Almighty has refused to submit to the most mindful of men.  (source)
    minuteness = smallness
    standard suffix: The suffix "-ness" converts an adjective to a noun that means the quality of. This is the same pattern you see in words like darkness, kindness, and coolness.
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    The minute owl was still hooting excitedly.  (source)
    minute = very small
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    Mary said afterwards that he hummed and ha'd for an unconscionable time while he examined the baby in minutest detail.  (source)
    minutest = smallest
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    The Librarian shakes his head minutely.  (source)
    minutely = slightly
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    As the minuteness of the parts formed a great hindrance to my speed, I resolved, contrary to my first intention, to make the being of a gigantic stature, that is to say, about eight feet in height, and proportionably large.  (source)
    minuteness = smallness
  • •
    I keep staring, trying to remember every minute detail of this moment, the way she grips the wooden spoon in her hand, the ivory look to her skin with the light coming in the windows behind her, the tenderness in her eyes.  (source)
    minute = small
  • •
    In other words, a finite thing can be divided an infinite number of times, down to even the minutest atom.  (source)
    minutest = smallest
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minute as in:  minute description

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    She thrives at sifting through that kind of minute detail.
    minute = including even small considerations
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    They shared their histories, from first memories onward, recounted in minute detail.  (source)
    minute = careful
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    [T]his case ... requires no minute sifting of complicated facts,  (source)
    minute = detailed
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Show 10 more with 4 word variations
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    Our watches synchronized, our clothes black, our backpacks on, our breath visible in the cold, our minds filled with the minute details of the plan, our hearts racing, we walked out of the barn together once it was completely dark, around seven.  (source)
    minute = careful
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    He lifted the wand and examined it minutely, turning it over and over before his eyes.  (source)
    minutely = carefully (with attention to detail)
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    This one section I would examine with the greatest minuteness:  (source)
    minuteness = attention to detail
    standard suffix: The suffix "-ness" converts an adjective to a noun that means the quality of. This is the same pattern you see in words like darkness, kindness, and coolness.
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    My uncle examined all his pockets and his travelling bag with the minutest care.  (source)
    minutest = most careful
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    Close up, each sketch was a mass of minute detail, much like the creatures I'd seen years before.  (source)
    minute = detailed
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    Though each face showed no awareness of the other, they were in fact minutely sensitive to each other.  (source)
    minutely = in detail
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    The scientist of today is either a mixture of psychologist and inquisitor, studying with real ordinary minuteness the meaning of facial expressions, gestures, and tones of voice, and testing the truth-producing effects of drugs, shock therapy, hypnosis, and physical torture; or he is chemist, physicist, or biologist concerned only with such branches of his special subject as are relevant to the taking of life.  (source)
    minuteness = attention to detail
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    Everything is related in them which bears reference to my accursed origin; the whole detail of that series of disgusting circumstances which produced it is set in view; the minutest description of my odious and loathsome person is given, in language which painted your own horrors and rendered mine indelible.  (source)
    minutest = most detailed
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    But it's very difficult to work in machine language because you go crazy after a while, working at such a minute level.  (source)
    minute = detailed
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    It was amazing how minutely I knew Rose, possibly as a result of nursing her after her surgery.  (source)
    minutely = in a detailed manner
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minutes as in:  keep the minutes

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    I always review the minutes to make sure there are no errors.
    minutes = written record of what happened at a meeting
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    In your satchel when I was hunting for the minutes?  (source)
    minutes = formal notes
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    But everybody just nods to approve the minutes.  (source)
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    The minutes of that meeting have disappeared from the files—mysteriously—but you can ask Walter Hartridge about it.  (source)
    minutes = formal notes (of a meeting)
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    "May I take the minutes?" asked a zombie.  (source)
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    In the words of the minutes of the meeting: "It was submitted to the consideration of the council whether, under all circumstances, it would not be eligible to leave Long Island and its dependencies [fortifications] and remove the army to New York."  (source)
    minutes = formal notes
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    Now we need someone else to take the minutes.  (source)
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    She makes jelly, takes the minutes at the P.T.A. and runs a Girl Scout troop.  (source)
    minutes = formal notes (from a meeting)
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    Not going to detail what new Congress did and said that session and later; minutes are available.  (source)
    minutes = formal notes
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    Did you take minutes, Brother Chairman? Have you recorded your wise disputations?  (source)
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    He drew up a list of all the clerical staff who might have had access to the minutes.  (source)
    minutes = formal notes (from a meeting)
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    Do you remember—looking at page sixteen of the grand jury minutes, line ten—'You picked him out of the lineup?'  (source)
    minutes = formal notes
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    The meeting had started pleasantly enough with the usual reading of the minutes and committee reports, when Davey Cantor burst into the room, looking as though he was crying, and shouted! breathlessly that someone had just told him President Roosevelt was dead.  (source)
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common meaning

Show 3 with this contextual meaning
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    As they pulled into the driveway of the house, Roy said, "This'll only take a minute."  (source)
    minute = a short time (about 60 seconds)
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    Judge Sims banged his gavel at the outburst, which rumbled for a full minute.  (source)
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    One minute, mind you, and then off forever.  (source)
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Show 10 more with 3 word variations
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    Two minutes from the time Curly went down, the last of her assailants were clubbed off.  (source)
    minutes = 60-second time periods
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    Just a minute, be patient for a moment ….  (source)
    minute = a short time (about 60 seconds)
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    Now minutely revolts upbraid his faith-breach.  (source)
    minutely = frequently
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    Then, minutes later, the coach rocked to a sudden halt.  (source)
    minutes = 60-second time periods
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    I really must sit down for a minute and collect my wits, and have a drink.  (source)
    minute = short time (about 60 seconds)
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    After a few minutes it coughed and bucked and stopped again.†  (source)
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    One minute he was sitting in the middle of a swarm; the next, they were gone and the sun was on him.†  (source)
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    After a few minutes, Mr. Krupp's eyes were closed tight, and he began to snore.†  (source)
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    For a long, long minute, none of the men spoke; then Mr. Morrison said softly, "The boy, how is he?"†  (source)
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    You can't just betray your tribe and then change your mind ten minutes later.†  (source)
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