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Added 6 October 2026

thin

/ˈθɪn/ verb

In Latin: subtīlis, tenuis, vescus Wiktionary

verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about thin at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Lose thickness; become thin or thinner.
Make thin or thinner.
Thin the solution
Lessen the strength or flavor of a solution or mixture.
cut bourbon

adjective

Of relatively small extent from one surface to the opposite or in cross section.
thin wire
Lacking excess flesh.
you can't be too rich or too thin
Very narrow.
a thin line across the page

adverb

Without viscosity.
the blood was flowing thin

Origin

From Middle English thinne, thünne, thenne, from Old English þynne, from Proto-West Germanic *þunnī, from Proto-Germanic *þunnuz (“thin”) – compare *þanjaną (“to stretch, spread out”) – from Proto-Indo-European *ténh₂us (“thin”), from *ten- (“to stretch”). Cognate with German dünn, Dutch dun, West Frisian tin, Icelandic þunnur, Danish tynd, Swedish tunn, Latin tenuis, Irish tanaí, Welsh tenau, Latvian tievs, Polish cienki, Russian тонкий (tonkij), Sanskrit तनु (tanú, “thin”), Persian تنگ (tang, “narrow”). Doublet of tenuis. Also related to tenuous.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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