diminutive

Etymology

From Middle French diminutif (1398), from Latin diminutivum, from dēminuō (“diminish”).

adj

1. Very small.
   Roman Sharonov rose unchallenged to head a corner wide, while diminutive winger Gokdeniz Karadeniz ghosted in with a diving header from the edge of the six-yard box that was acrobatically kept out by Gomes. October 20, 2011, Jamie Lillywhite, “Tottenham 1 - 0 Rubin Kazan”, in BBC Sport
2. (obsolete) Serving to diminish.
   1711, Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury, Characteristicks of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times, 1714 edition republished by Gregg International Publishers, 1968, Volume 3, Miscellany 3, Chapter 2, p. 175, They cou’d, perhaps, even embrace POVERTY contentedly, rather than submit to any thing diminutive either of their inward Freedom or national Liberty.
3. (grammar) Of or pertaining to, or creating a word form expressing smallness, youth, unimportance, or endearment.

noun

1. (grammar) A word form expressing smallness, youth, unimportance, or endearment.
   Booklet, the diminutive of book, means ‘small book’.
   When we come to occupative names, we are again confronted by crowds of diminutives. 1916, Ernest Weekley, Surnames, page 287