n. [ L. minuendus to be diminished, fr. minuere to lessen, diminish. See Minish. ] (Arith.) In the process of subtraction{ 2 }, the number from which another number (the subtrahend) is to be subtracted, to find the difference. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n. [ F., fr. menu small, L. minutus small. So called on account of the short steps of the dance. See 4th Minute. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A slow graceful dance consisting of a coupee, a high step, and a balance. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Mus.) A tune or air to regulate the movements of the dance so called; a movement in suites, sonatas, symphonies, etc., having the dance form, and commonly in 3-4, sometimes 3-8, measure. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See 2d Minion, Minum, 6. ] [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A small kind of printing type; minion. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Mus.) A minim. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. See Minor, and cf. Mis- pref. from the French. ] (Math.) Less; requiring to be subtracted; negative; as, a minus quantity. [ 1913 Webster ]

Minus sign (Math.), the sign [ - ] denoting minus, or less, prefixed to negative quantities, or quantities to be subtracted. See Negative sign, under Negative. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. minuses A factor counted as a disadvantage; a loss or potential loss in a situation or plan; as, he added up all the pluses and minuses and decided not to do it; as, the lack of money is a big minus in an election campaign. [ PJC ]

adj. of or relating to minuscule script, a small cursive script developed from uncial, and used in the 7th to 9th centuries.
Syn. -- minuscule. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. minusculus rather small, fr. minus less: cf. F. minuscule. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Any very small, minute object. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A small Roman letter which is neither capital nor uncial; a manuscript written in such letters. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. a. Of or relating to a minuscule{ 2 } or of a script written in minuscules{ 2 }; of the size and style of minuscules{ 2 }; written in minuscules{ 2 }; minuscular. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

These minuscule letters are cursive forms of the earlier uncials. I. Taylor (The Alphabet). [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to, or consisting of, minutes. [ Obs. ] Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to a minute or minutes; occurring at or marking successive minutes. [ 1913 Webster ]

Minute bell, a bell tolled at intervals of a minute, as to give notice of a death or a funeral. --
Minute book, a book in which written minutes are entered. --
Minute glass, a glass measuring a minute or minutes by the running of sand. --
Minute gun, a discharge of a cannon repeated every minute as a sign of distress or mourning. --
Minute hand, the long hand of a watch or clock, which makes the circuit of the dial in an hour, and marks the minutes. [ 1913 Webster ]