Dictionary

subminiature en · ADJ

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Italic *supo Latin sub Latin sub-der. English sub- Paleo-Hispanicbor. Latin Minius Proto-Indo-European *-om Proto-Italic *-om Latin -um Latin minium Italian minio Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Italian -are Italian miniare Proto-Indo-European *-tew-? Proto-Indo-European *-r-eh₂? Latin -tūra Italian -tura Italian miniaturabor. English miniature English subminiature From sub- + miniature.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) Compact or smaller than miniature.
   • Vacuum tubes and other circuit components have been produced in miniature and subminiature versions. 1952 March, Leonard Engel, “Little Gadget with a Large Future”, in Harper's Magazine, volume 204, number 1222, page 57:
2. (not-comparable) of photography equipment and techniques using a smaller frame than 35mm
   • Other Minolta cameras from $27 to $270, including subminiature, "snapshot," 35mm rangefinder and single lens reflex models... 1964 November, “Minolta Hi-matic 7”, in Sunset, page 136:

subminiature en · NOUN

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Italic *supo Latin sub Latin sub-der. English sub- Paleo-Hispanicbor. Latin Minius Proto-Indo-European *-om Proto-Italic *-om Latin -um Latin minium Italian minio Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Italian -are Italian miniare Proto-Indo-European *-tew-? Proto-Indo-European *-r-eh₂? Latin -tūra Italian -tura Italian miniaturabor. English miniature English subminiature From sub- + miniature.

Meanings

1. Any item smaller than that considered miniature, especially electronic and electromechanical devices
   • One of these Raytheon Subminiatures takes the place of two old style tubes and its small size results in lower microphonics. 1948 April, “Sounds Good to Her: Raytheon CK510AX”, in Electronics, volume 21, number 4, page 143:
2. A subminiature camera, generally with a frame smaller than 35mm
   • The popularity of today’s wide-angle lenses and the subminiatures with their inherently great depth of field testify to the success of this technique. 1958 September, “10 ways to dramatize the ordinary”, in Popular Photography, volume 3, number 45, page 60:

Forms

Deriveds

subminiaturize