a few

a few
adjective
more than one but indefinitely small in number (Freq. 138)
-

a few roses

-

a couple of roses

• Syn: ↑a couple of
• Similar to: ↑few

* * *

phrasal
chiefly dialect : to some degree or extent : a little

we'd already made out that he could ride a few — Smart Set

* * *

a few
1. A small number (of), used as a noun, or virtually a compound adjective
2. Also facetiously as an adv, a little
• • •
Main Entry: ↑few

* * *

◊ used in front of nouns
Few and a few are both used in front of nouns, but they do not have the same meaning.
\
You use a few simply to indicate that you are talking about a small number of people or things. When you use few without `a', you are emphasizing that there are only a small number of people or things of a particular kind.
\
So, for example, if you say `I have a few friends', you are simply saying that you have some friends. However, if you say `I have few friends', you are saying that you do not have enough friends and are lonely.

A few children were playing in the road.

Few children will be able to cope with the long journeys.

They may have a few books on the shelf.

There were few books in Grandfather's study.

\
◊ used as pronouns
Few and a few can be used in a similar way as pronouns.

Each volunteer spent one night a week in the cathedral. A few spent two.

Many are invited but few are chosen.

\
◊ 'not many'
In conversation, people do not usually use few without `a'. Instead they use not many. For example, instead of saying `I have few friends', people usually say `I haven't got many friends' or `I don't have many friends'.

They haven't got many good players in their side.

I don't have many visitors.

\
You do not use few or a few when you are talking about a small amount of something. You do not say, for example, `Would you like a few more milk in your tea?' You say `Would you like a little more milk in your tea?' See entry at ↑ little - a little.
\

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • few — W1S1 [fju:] determiner, pron, adj comparative fewer superlative fewest [: Old English; Origin: feawa] 1.) [no comparative] a small number of things or people a few ▪ I have to buy a few things at the supermarket. ▪ Pam called to say she s going… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • few — [ fju ] (comparative fewer; superlative fewest) function word, quantifier *** Few can be used in the following ways: as a determiner (followed by a plural noun): Few people live there now. There were a few animals in the barn. as a pronoun: Many… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Few — (f[=u]), a. [Compar. {Fewer} (f[=u] [ e]r); superl. {Fewest}.] [OE. fewe, feawe, AS. fe[ a], pl. fe[ a]we; akin to OS. f[=a]h, OHG. f[=o] fao, Icel. f[=a]r, Sw. f[*a], pl., Dan. faa, pl., Goth. faus, L. paucus, cf. Gr. pay^ros. Cf. {Paucity}.]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • few — ► DETERMINER , PRONOUN , & ADJECTIVE 1) (a few) a small number of. 2) not many. ► NOUN (the few) ▪ a select minority. ● few and far between Cf. ↑few and far between …   English terms dictionary

  • few and far between — {adj. phr.} Not many; few and scattered; not often met or found; rare. Used in the predicate. * /People who will work as hard as Thomas A. Edison are few and far between./ * /Places where you can get water are few and far between in the desert./… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • few and far between — {adj. phr.} Not many; few and scattered; not often met or found; rare. Used in the predicate. * /People who will work as hard as Thomas A. Edison are few and far between./ * /Places where you can get water are few and far between in the desert./… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • few — (adj.) O.E. feawe (plural; contracted to fea) few, seldom, even a little, from P.Gmc. *faw , from PIE root *pau few, little (Cf. L. paucus few, little, paullus little, parvus little, small, pauper poor; Gk. pauros …   Etymology dictionary

  • few — [fyo͞o] adj. [ME fewe < OE feawe, feawa, pl., akin to OFris fē, Goth fawai, pl. < IE base * pōu , small, little > L paucus, Gr pauros, little] not many; a small number of [few seats were left, a few people came] pron. not many; a small… …   English World dictionary

  • Few Lights Till Night — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda «Few Lights Till Night» Sencillo de Dragon Ash Lado B « Stir Sleep Tight » Publicación 27 de septiembre de 2006 …   Wikipedia Español

  • FEW — bezeichnet einen 1/8 bis 2/8 bewölkten Himmel, siehe Bewölkung#Einteilung Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch Freiburgische Elektrizitätswerke, siehe Groupe E Frostigs Entwicklungstest der visuellen Wahrnehmung, siehe Marianne Frostig das… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • few — 1. Few may be used with or without preceding a, although the sense is slightly different. There were few seats left means there were not many (and is negative in implication), whereas There were a few seats left means that some were still left… …   Modern English usage

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