Thin, v. i. To grow or become thin; --
used with some adverbs, as out, away, etc.; as, geological
strata thin out, i. e., gradually diminish in thickness until
they disappear.
Thin, v. t. [imp. & p. p.
Thinned (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Thinning.]
[Cf. AS. geþynnian.] To make thin (in any of the senses
of the adjective).
Thin, adv. Not thickly or closely; in a
seattered state; as, seed sown thin.
Spain is thin sown of people.
Bacon.Thin (?), a. [Compar.
Thiner (?); superl. Thinest.] [OE.
thinne, thenne, thunne, AS. þynne; akin
to D. dun, G. dünn, OHG. dunni, Icel.
þunnr, Sw. tunn, Dan. tynd, Gael. & Ir.
tana, W. teneu, L. tenuis, Gr. ? (in comp.)
stretched out, ? stretched, stretched out, long, Skr. tanu thin,
slender; also to AS. ?enian to extend, G. dehnen, Icel.
?enja, Goth. ?anjan (in comp.), L. tendere to
stretch, tenere to hold, Gr. ? to stretch, Skr. tan.
√51 & 237. Cf. Attenuate, Dance, Tempt,
Tenable, Tend to move, Tenous, Thunder,
Tone.] 1. Having little thickness or extent
from one surface to its opposite; as, a thin plate of metal;
thin paper; a thin board; a thin covering.
2. Rare; not dense or thick; -- applied to fluids
or soft mixtures; as, thin blood; thin broth; thin
air. Shak.
In the day, when the air is more thin.
Bacon.
Satan, bowing low
His gray dissimulation, disappeared,
Into thin air diffused.
Milton.
3. Not close; not crowded; not filling the space;
not having the individuals of which the thing is composed in a close or
compact state; hence, not abundant; as, the trees of a forest are
thin; the corn or grass is thin.
Ferrara is very large, but extremely thin of
people.
Addison.
4. Not full or well grown; wanting in
plumpness.
Seven thin ears . . . blasted with the east
wind.
Gen. xli. 6.
5. Not stout; slim; slender; lean; gaunt; as, a
person becomes thin by disease.
6. Wanting in body or volume; small; feeble; not
full.
Thin, hollow sounds, and lamentable
screams.
Dryden.
7. Slight; small; slender; flimsy; wanting
substance or depth or force; superficial; inadequate; not sufficient for a
covering; as, a thin disguise.
My tale is done, for my wit is but thin.
Chaucer.
☞ Thin is used in the formation of compounds which are
mostly self-explaining; as, thin-faced, thin-lipped,
thin-peopled, thin-shelled, and the like.
Thin section. See under Section.