From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Few \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.]
Not many; small, limited, or confined in number; --
indicating a small portion of units or individuals
constituting a whole; often, by ellipsis of a noun, a few
people. "Are not my days few?" --Job x. 20.
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Few know and fewer care. --Proverb.
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Note: Few is often used partitively; as, few of them.
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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.
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