mickle

Definitions

1. A surname.
2. A great amount.
   Scotland, archaic, countable, uncountable
3. A small amount.
   Scotland, archaic, countable, uncountable
4. Great or important people as a class.
   countable, obsolete, uncountable
5. Greatness, largeness, stature.
   countable, obsolete, uncountable

Examples

“Many a little makes a mickle.”

“Neurthelesse little or mickle, something or nothing, substaunce or shadow take⟳ all in good part, my meaning is by a fewe wordes to wynne credit to this works, not so much for mine owne Englishe Translation as for the singular commendation of them, challenged of dutie and desart.”

“In a word, I muſt know⟳ what I may gaine, little or much: for the henne layes aſwell vpon one egge as many, and many littles make⟳ a mickle, and whilſt ſomething is gotten, nothing is loſt.”

“Many of the great fortunes in this country have⟳ been built up of pence and halfpence—I might also say⟳ of farthings. The odd halfpenny and three-farthings that you see⟳ (if you look⟳ close⟳) upon the ticketed article in the shop-window, forms one of the littles; and a profit of hundreds of pounds, or often thousands, at the end⟳ of the year, forms the mickle.”

“While we boast of our farming, we must repeat⟳ again and again, the secret of our prosperity. It is a regular rotation of crops, making a little out of many articles, rather than attempting to make⟳ much of one; remembering the Scotch proverb, that "many a mickle makes a muckle"; […]”

CEFR level