Or miat {meh-awt'}; from ma'at; a little or few (often adverbial or compar.) -- almost (some, very) few(-er, -est), lightly, little (while), (very) small (matter, thing), some, soon, X very.
see HEBREW ma'at
H4592. meat
מְעַט101 substantive a little, fewness, a few; — ׳מ absolute and construct, מְעָ֑ט Isaiah 10:7 +, plural מְעַטִּים Psalm 109:8; Ecclesiastes 5:1; —
1. a. Genesis 30:30 לְפָנַי לך היה אשׁר מעט the little that thou hadst, 47:9 חיי שׁני ימי היו ורעים מעט few and evil, Leviticus 25:52; Numbers 26:54 (compare 33:54) נחלתו תמעיט וְלַמְעַט and to the small (few) thou shalt make small his inheritance, 33:56; 35:8 תמעיטו ַהמְעַט וּמֵאֵת, Deuteronomy 7:7 העמים מכלֿ ַהמְעַט אתם וכי ye are the fewest out of all peoples, 1 Samuel 14:6 בִמְעָ֑ט אוֺ בְּרַב לְהוֺשִׁיעַ, Jeremiah 42:2 מֵהַרְבֵּה מְעַט נִשְׁאַרְנוּ כִּי we are left as few out of many, Ezekiel 5:3 בְּמִסְמָּר מְעַט מִשָּׁם וְלָקַחְתָּ, Haggai 1:6 מְעָ֑ט וְהָבֵא הַרְבֵּה זְרַעְתֶּם (compare 1:9), Psalm 8:6 מאלהים מעט ותחסּרהו, 37:16 לַצַּדִּיק מְעַט טוֺב (compare Proverbs 15:16; 16:8), 2 Chronicles 29:34 לִמְעָ֑ט הָיוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים רַק; as predicate Numbers 13:18 אִםרָֿ֑ב הוּא הַמְעַט, Joshua 7:3 הֵמָּה מְעַט כִּי, Job 10:20; Ruth 2:7; Nehemiah 7:4; Isaiah 16:14 מִזְעָר מְעַט וּשְׁאָר. — Hosea 8:10 מְעַט וַיָּחֵלּוּ and they begin as littleness ( = to be minished) because of, &c.; but read probably (ᵐ5) מִמְּשֹׁחַ מְעַט וְיֶחְדְּלוּ and they shall cease for a little (d) from anointing, etc.
b. as substantive with following Genitive, Genesis 18:4 מַיִם מְעַט a little of water, 24:17, 43, אֹכֶל מְעַט 43:2; 44:25; 1 Samuel 14:43; 17:28 הָהֵ֫נָּה הַצּאֹן מְעַט literally the fewness of those sheep, Proverbs 6:10 +; as Genitive to a previous substantive, מְעָ֑ט מְתֵי men of fewness Deuteronomy 26:5; 28:62; in apposition, Isaiah 10:7 מְעָ֑ט לֹא גּוֺיִם לְהַכְרִית, Ezra 9:8 מְעַט מִחְיָה, Nehemiah 2:12 עִמִּי מְעַט וַאֲנָשִׁים, Ecclesiastes 9:4; either Genitive or appositive, 10:1; Daniel 11:34 מְעָ֑ט עֵזֶר יֵעָֽזְרוּ with a help of smallness.
c. twice declined as an adjective , Psalm 109:8 מְעַטִּים יָמָיו יִהְיוּ, Ecclesiastes 5:1 מְעַטִּים דבריך יהיו עלכֿן.
d. as adverb. accusative, of place, 2 Samuel 16:1 מְעַט עֹבֵר וְדָוִד; of time, Job 10:20 b; of degree, 2 Kings 10:18 מְעָ֑ט אֶתהַֿבַּעַל עָבַד אַחְאָב, Ezekiel 11:16 and have been to them for a sanctuary but little, Zechariah 1:15; repeated מְעַט מְעַט by little, by little = gradually, Exodus 23:30; Deuteronomy 7:22.
e. phrases: — a. with the interr. הֲ, Genesis 30:15 וְלָקַחַת אִישִׁי אֶתֿ קַחְתֵּךְ ַהמְעַט was thy taking my husband (too) little? and (wilt thou be) for taking also my son's love-apples? Numbers 16:9-10 כְּהֻנָּה גַּם וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּם ֗֗֗ הִבְדִּיל כִּי מִכֶּם ַהמְעַט is it too little for you that J. hath separated, etc., ... and do ye seek, etc.? 16:13 הִשְׂתָּרֵר גַּם תִשְׂתָּרֵר כִּי ֗֗֗ הֶעֱלִיתָנוּ כִּי ַהמְעַט, Joshua 22:17f. וגו תָּשׁוּבוּ וְאַתֶּם ֗֗֗ לָנוּ ׳ַהמְעַט, Isaiah 7:13 וגו תַּלְאוּ כִּי אֲנָשִׁים הַלְאוֺת מִכֶּם ׳ַהמְעַט is wearying men too little for you, that you will weary also my God? Ezekiel 34:18 (as Ew Co AV RV), Job 15:11 אֵל תַּנְחוּמוֺת מִמְּךָ ַהמְעַט. But Ezekiel 16:20 (si vera lectio) was it (too) little because of thy whoredom? (was that insufficient for thee? Kö iii. 406 m). b. וְ מְעַט ׳עוֺד, Exodus 17:4 וּסְקָלֻנִי מְעַט עוֺד yet a little, and they will stone me, Jeremiah 51:33; Hosea 1:4; Psalm 37:10; וְ מִזְעָר מְעַט ׳עוֺד Isaiah 10:25; 29:17; compare Haggai 2:6; Job 24:24.
2 כִּמְעַט like a little: hence
a. within a little, almost (compare ὀλίγου), Genesis 26:10 ֗֗֗ שָׁכַב כִּמְעַט almost had lain ..., Psalm 73:2 Qr, 94:17; 119:87; Proverbs 5:14 (all followed by perfect); Ezekiel 16:47 מֵהֶן וַתַּשְׁחִתִי קָט כִּמְעַט like a little, and thou hadst done more corruptly than they; Song of Solomon 3:4 מֵהֶם שֶׁעָבַרְתִּי כִּמְעַט = hardly had I passed.
b. with imperfect, just, 2 Samuel 19:37 עבדך יעבר כמעט just would thy servant pass over; lightly, easily, quickly (compare δἰ ὀλίγου), Psalm 2:12 אַמּוֺ כִּמְעַט יִבְעַר כִּי, 81:15; Job 32:22.
c. = shortly, 2 Chronicles 12:7.
d. = little worth, Proverbs 10:20 רשׁעים ולב כמעט. e. pleonastic for מְעַט, Isaiah 1:9 (accents) שָׂרִיר כִּמְעָ֑ט a little remnant, Psalm 105:12 (= 1 Chronicles 16:19) בָּהּ וְגָרִים כִּמְעַט; רֶגַע כִּמְעַט like the littleness of a moment = for a little moment, Isaiah 26:20; Ezra 9:8.