thin*/*/*/

[θɪn] adj I

1) a thin object or material has only a short distance between two opposite sides, edges, or surfaces

a thin layer of dust[/ex]

Cut the tomatoes into thin slices.[/ex]

2) someone who is thin has very little fat on their body

Charles was thin and very tall.[/ex]

3) thin hair or fur grows with spaces between the individual hairs

a thin moustache[/ex]

4) a thin liquid contains mostly water, so that it flows easily

a plate of meat covered with thin gravy[/ex]

5) small in number or amount

It was a day of thin trading on the stock market.[/ex]

6) without much detail or many facts

The evidence for his theory is rather thin.[/ex]

7) thin air has less oxygen in it than usual

•

thin air — if something appears from thin air or disappears into thin air, it appears or disappears in a sudden mysterious way[/ex]

thin on the ground — not available in large amounts or numbers[/ex]

See:

thinly

Other ways of saying thin ■ emaciated extremely thin because you have been ill, or because you do not have enough food to eat ■ lean/wiry thin and strong ■ skinny (informal) thin in a way that is not attractive ■ slender thin in a graceful way ■ slim thin in an attractive way ■ trim thin because you exercise regularly II

verb

thin [θɪn]

1) [I] to become less in number, amount, or thickness

As it grew dark, the crowd started to thin.[/ex]

Did you notice that his hair is thinning on top?[/ex]

2) [T] to make a thick liquid become less thick by adding water or another liquid to it

III

adv

thin [θɪn]

in a way that produces a thin layer or piece of something

Cut the cheese thin, so that it melts.[/ex]