rhizoverbBeta
DictionarysmidgenTiny amount
noun

smidgen

SMIJ-un/ˈsmɪdʒən/

A very small amount.

Only a smidgen of cinnamon lies in the otherwise empty spoon.

A nearly empty teaspoon holds just a tiny pinch of ground cinnamon, with its broad bare bowl providing an immediate scale comparison for the very small amount.
Etymology
smidgenScotsvery small amount; mote

Smidgen probably comes from Scots smitch, meaning a very small amount, spot, or mote. The modern meaning retains that emphasis on minuteness: not merely some quantity, but a mere speck.

In context

The Planetary Society0:37
there is no evidence, not a smidgen of evidence, suggesting life anywhere else.
Carl Sagan Unveils the Pale Blue Dot

More examples

  • She leaves only a smidgen of space at the edge.
  • He shows not a smidgen of regret.
  • A smidgen of extra patience would help.

Forms

smidgen · smidgens

Similar words

trace
Can mean a tiny amount too small to measure readily.
dab
A dab is a small portion, often of something soft; smidgen is any tiny amount.