noun / adjective

peewee

PEE-wee/pˈiwˌi/

Someone or something very small.

The peewee basketball looks tiny beside the full-sized basketball.

A very small child-sized basketball beside a full-sized basketball, with the clear size contrast illustrating equipment meant for young children.

Etymology

Peewee may be a varied repetition of wee, meaning “small.” Its earlier use for a small marble precedes the broader adjective meaning tiny or intended for children.

In context

Gravitas Documentaries2:17

peewee hockey today is not the peewee hockey we played when we were kids

Head Games | The Concussion Crisis | FULL DOCUMENTARY

More examples

Even fully grown, this dog is a peewee.
He coaches a peewee hockey team on Saturday mornings.
The two peewees stand on tiptoe to reach the counter.

Forms

peewee · peewees

Similar words

tiny: Describes very small size without suggesting children or sports.
runt: Specifically the smallest or weakest member of a group.