wee

Formsweer, weest

Pluralwees (some meanings)

Formswees, weeing, weed

1. 1
   littleadjectivedialectalIrelandNew ZealandNorthern EnglandScotland

   Small in size, amount, or extent; little.

   He poured a wee dram of whisky for each guest.

   She gave the dog a wee pat before heading out the door.

   UsageUsually before a noun: a wee bit, a wee while. The wee hours, meaning after midnight, is widely used.

   Similarlittle, small, tiny

   Oppositebig, large

   Note

   It belongs to Scotland, Ireland, Northern England, New Zealand and the Ottawa Valley. It compares like any short adjective, and James Kelman's Kieron Smith, Boy (2008) has "he was weer than me." Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

   • James Kelman wrote Kieron Smith, Boy, first published in 2008. en.wikipedia.org
   • The novel contains the quoted words. en.wiktionary.org
2. 2
   a peenouncolloquialuncountable

   Urine, or an act of urinating, in mild informal or child-directed speech ('I need a wee').

   The nurse asked for a sample of wee to send to the lab.

   The toilet cubicle smelled strongly of wee.

   UsageFor the act, have a wee or need a wee; for the liquid, no article: a smell of wee.

   Similarpee, urine, piddle

   Note

   Nothing to do with the Scottish "small": this wee imitates the sound of urinating, and the nouns grew out of the verb. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

   • The urination sense has a separate, sound-imitative origin. en.wiktionary.org
   • The nouns derive from the verb. en.wiktionary.org
3. 3
   pass urineverbcolloquialUKintransitive

   To urinate; a mild, polite term common in casual British speech.

   She asked the driver to stop so the children could wee.

   I really need to wee before the film starts.

   UsageThe past form is weed, spelled like the garden plant, and the -ing form is weeing.

   Similarpee, urinate

   Note

   Tom Armstrong's Marvin comic (2011) plays the verb against its look-alike adjective. Young, he was up until the wee hours; now he is up every hour to wee. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

   • Tom Armstrong created Marvin. comicskingdom.com
   • A 2011 Marvin strip contrasts staying up until the wee hours when young with getting up hourly to urinate when older; the item paraphrases its wording. en.wiktionary.org
4. 4
   time or distancenoundialectalcountable

   A short stretch of time, or a small distance from one point to another.

   Rest here a wee before we tackle the rest of the climb.

   Bide a wee and I'll put the kettle on.

   UsageMostly after a verb as a wee: bide a wee, wait a wee.

   Similarwhile, bit

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