English Reference

Word

skosh

/skoʊʃ/

Definition

n. a very small amount of something. You use it when you want just a little bit more or less of something, like a tiny bit of salt or a small change in size.

n. a small amount; a bit or a smidgen. Derived from the Japanese word 'sukoshi', it is typically used in the phrase 'a skosh'.

Examples

“I think the soup needs a skosh more salt.”

“The tailor suggested shortening the sleeves by just a skosh to ensure the shirt fit perfectly.”

“While the initial draft was nearly perfect, the editor felt that the conclusion needed to be a skosh more punchy to leave a lasting impression on the reader.”

Examples

simple

“I think the soup needs a skosh more salt.”

contextual

“The tailor suggested shortening the sleeves by just a skosh to ensure the shirt fit perfectly.”

complex

“While the initial draft was nearly perfect, the editor felt that the conclusion needed to be a skosh more punchy to leave a lasting impression on the reader.”

Usage

Typically appears in the construction 'a skosh' or 'a skosh of'.

Real-World Examples

“So, for instance, you say, Bob, do you want a little more tea? You’d say, yeah, just a skosh.”
Wayback Radio · 24 Sept 2010
“It usually turns up as an noun meaning a little bit, a jot, a small amount (“he solved the problem in a skosh more than 13 days”).”
World Wide Words

Etymology

From Japanese 少し (sukoshi, "a little bit"), originally US armed forces slang.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Domain

Linguistics

This entry

Level
C2 · Proficiency
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference