least

Etymology

From Middle English leste, lest, last, from Old English lǣst, a contraction of læsast, læsest, lærest (“least”), from Proto-Germanic *laisistaz (“smallest; least”), related to Old English læs (“less”). Cognate with Old Frisian leist, Old Saxon lēs. More at less.

det

1. The most little; the smallest amount or quantity of something.
   He earns the least money in his family. Of all the sisters, she has the least patience. I can only afford to pay the least of the bills. I'm giving (the) least of all towards her present.
   The least water we could find there was 4 fathoms, which bears from the point S.E., and is distant 1½ mile. 1857, Edmund March Blunt, The American Coast Pilot: Containing Directions for the Principal Harbors, E. & G.W. Blunt, page 135
   To have demolished and rebuilt the walls, would have been a very costly expedient, and as the least of two evils, the painter's brush was resorted to; here and there however, above some of the windows, the black wreathings of the smoke are still discernible through the white covering. 1847, John Duncan, Duncan's Travels
   “Well,” I says, “I cal'late a body could get used to Tophet if he stayed there long enough.” ¶ She flared up; the least mite of a slam at Doctor Wool was enough to set her going. 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 5, in Mr. Pratt's Patients
   Charles had not been employed above six months at Darracott Place, but he was not such a whopstraw as to make the least noise in the performance of his duties when his lordship was out of humour. 1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 1, in The Unknown Ajax
   Comparison of the four bogie designs shows that the Rugby-built A.E.I. bogie has the least number of components and a minimum of metallic wearing surfaces. 1960 December, “The first hundred 25 kV a.c. electric locomotives for B.R.”, in Trains Illustrated, page 727
   Light does not need to know in advance which is the path of least time because it takes all paths from its source to its destination. 2004, Jim Baggott, Beyond Measure: Modern Physics, Philosophy, and the Meaning of Quantum Theory, Oxford University Press, page 48

adv

1. Used for forming superlatives of adjectives, especially those that do not form the superlative by adding -est.
   It was the least surprising thing.
2. In the smallest or lowest degree; in a degree below all others.
   to reward those who least deserve it
   I never hid the truth, least of all from you.
   I don't much like housework, and I like cooking least.

noun

1. (philosophy) Something of the smallest possible extent; an indivisible unit.

adj

1. (archaic, outside of fixed terms) superlative degree of little; smallest
   least weasel
   least common multiple