“few” – English explanatory dictionary

adj, noun 1. not many ○ She has very few friends at work. ○ We go to fewer concerts than last year. ○ I wonder why few of the staff stay with us more than six months. □ few and far between not very frequent ○ Trains are few and far between on Sundays. 2. □ a few some, not very many ○ I only took a few photographs because it rained all the time. ○ I’ll call you in a few minutes. ○ A few of the wedding guests were sitting playing cards. □ quite a few several, or many ○ Quite a few people on the boat were sick.

used to signify the reverse, thus:—“Don’t you call this
considerably jolly?” “I believe you, my bo-o-oy, A FEW.” Sometimes the
reply is, “just a FEW.” Another expression of the same kind is RATHER,
which _see_.

(fu), a. [Compar. Fewer superl. Fewest.] [OE. fewe, feawe, AS. feá, pl. feáwe; akin to OS. fah, OHG. fo fao, Icel. far, Sw. få, pl., Dan. faa, pl., Goth. faus, L. paucus, cf. Gr. pay^ros. Cf. Paucity.] Not many; small, limited, or confined in number; — indicating a small portion of units or individuals constituing a whole; often, by ellipsis of a noun, a few people. ´Are not my days few?´ Job x. 20. “Few know and fewer care.” Proverb. Few is often used partitively; as few of them. A few, a small number. — In few, in a few words; briefly. Shak. — No few, not few; more than a few; many. Cowper. — The few, the minority; — opposed to the many or the majority.