pŭsillus, a, um, adj. dim. [pusus], very little, very small, petty, insignificant (class.).
I Lit.: pueri, Cato R. R. 157, 10: testis, Cic. de Or. 2, 60, 145; cf. Hor. S. 1, 5, 69: terra homines nunc educat pusillos, Juv. 15, 70: mus, Plaut. Truc. 4, 4, 15: villula valde pusilla, Cic. Att. 12, 27, 1: folia (herbae), Plin. 25, 13, 103, § 162: epistula, Cic. Att. 6, 1, 23: pusilli et contempti libelli, id. Verr. 2, 2, 75, § 185: cui satis una Farris libra foret, gracili sic tamque pusillo, Hor. S. 1, 5, 69: vox, small , thin , weak , Quint. 11, 3, 32: habuimus in Cumano quasi pusillam Romam, Cic. Att. 5, 2, 2.— Comp. : maritus quovis puero pusillior, Ap. Met. 5, 9, 24; pusillo animo, Vulg. Col. 3, 21.— Absol. : pŭsillum , i, n., a very little , a trifle : nactus pusillum laxamenti, Treb. ap. Cic. Fam. 12, 16, 3: aphaca pusillo altior lenticula est, a trifle taller , Plin. 27, 5, 21, § 38: pusillum a vero discedere, a little , Quint. 8, 6, 28; cf. Cato R. R. 90: post pusillum, after a little , Vulg. Judith, 13, 11; id. Luc. 22, 58.—
II Trop., little , small , petty , paltry : animus, a petty spirit , Cic. Fam. 2, 17, 7; Sen. Ira, 3, 43, 4: Siculus ille capitalis, creber, acutus, brevis, paene pusillus Thucydides, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 11 (13), 4; Mart. 3, 62, 8: pusilli animi, little courage , diffidence , Hor. S. 1, 4, 17: ingenium, Mart. 9, 51, 1: causa, trifling , Ov. R. Am. 730: res (opp. grandes), Quint. 11, 3, 151: quod dixi tamen, hoc leve et pusillum est, Mart. 4, 43, 9: causidicus, Juv. 10, 121.