a little bird told me
I received the information from a source which I am not prepared to disclose.
Let’s just say I know because a little bird told me.
adj
Small in size.
This is a little table.
It’s only a little way now.
Small in size.
"You are a little, little man," she proclaimed, staring obviously below my waist as she pronounced the second "little." It was almost disappointing. I'd heard that one before, but it still left a new scar each time.
Insignificant, trivial.
It’s of little importance.
Urania speaks with darken’d brow: ‘Thou pratest here where thou art least; This faith has many a purer priest, And many an abler voice than thou: […]’
Insignificant, trivial.
Listen up, you little shit.
Very young, of childhood age.
Did he tell you any embarrassing stories about when she was little?
That’s the biggest little boy I’ve ever seen.
adv
Not much.
This is a little-known fact: the new model is little faster than the old one.
She spoke little and listened less.
Not at all.
Little did he know she never did like him, did he? - Certainly, he little knew what awaited him.
But then I had the [massive] flintlock by me for protection. ¶[…]The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window[…], and a ‘bead’ could be drawn upon Molly, the dairymaid, kissing the fogger behind the hedge, little dreaming that the deadly tube was levelled at them.
det
Not much, only a little: only a small amount (of).
There is (very) little water left.
We had very little to do.