micro

See also: Micro, micro-, mi-crô, and micrô

English

Etymology

From micro-, typically as shortened forms for modern words formed with the prefix, ultimately from Ancient Greek μικρός (mikrós, “small”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmaɪ.kɹəʊ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈmaɪ.kɹoʊ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪkɹəʊ
• Hyphenation: mi‧cro
• Homophone: Micro

Adjective

micro (comparative more micro, superlative most micro)

1. Very small in scale or scope.

   Antonym: macro

   At the micro level, he was a good manager. At the macro level, he failed.

   • 2025 May 26, Joshua Nelken-Zitser, “I 'micro-retired' in my 30s by investing every dollar from my side income. It sounds almost too simple to be true, but it works.”, in Business Insider‎^[1], archived from the original on 3 June 2025:

     Financial independence and micro retirement have come to represent the autonomy I've created for myself, which is a powerful feeling.

Derived terms

• micro bangs
• micro org
• micro trenching
• semimicro
• supermicro
• Warburg micro syndrome

Translations

very small in scale — see micro-

Noun

micro (countable and uncountable, plural micros or microes)

1. (countable, colloquial) Clipping of microwave (“microwave oven”).

   Just put it in the micro for 30 seconds and it's ready to eat.

   • 2013, Susan Andersen, chapter 14, in Some Like it Hot, Don Mills, Ont.: Harlequin HQN, →ISBN, page 177:

     Yes. A nutritional dinner that will taste so good it’ll knock your socks off and maybe change your world—or at least your way of eating. I’d have to cook it at your place, though—all I have in my cottage is a hot plate, fridgie and a micro. But I’d provide everything.

2. (uncountable, economics, colloquial) Clipping of microeconomics.

   Coordinate term: macro

3. (countable, computing, dated) Clipping of microcomputer.
   • 1984, Mike Gerrard, Bryan Skinner, Mr Chips comes home: micros and home education, page 23:

     If you can possibly afford to spend a few more pounds then you should move up into the next price bracket, where the potential of the home micro starts to be realised.

   • 1986-05, Rachael Smith, “Bomb Jack”, in Your Sinclair, number 5 (video game review):

     So what sort of hero is this bounding, bomb collecting midget? The answer is an arcade hero - and now he's let loose in your micro courtesy of conversion kings, Elite.

4. (uncountable, gaming, slang) Clipping of micromanagement.

   Coordinate term: macro

5. (countable, paraphilia, colloquial) Clipping of microphile.

   Coordinate term: macro

6. (uncountable, paraphilia, colloquial) Clipping of microphilia.

   Coordinate term: macro

7. (countable, paraphilia, colloquial, also attributive) In the context of microphilia, one who is abnormally very small.

   Synonym: tiny (noun)

   Coordinate terms: macro; giant, giantess

Derived terms

• microfur
• micromania

Translations

microwave oven — see also microwave

• Portuguese: micro m
• Spanish: micro m

Verb

micro (third-person singular simple present micros or microes, present participle microing or micro'ing, simple past and past participle microed or microd or micro'ed or micro'd)

1. (ambitransitive, gaming, slang) Clipping of micromanage.

   Coordinate term: macro

See also

• giga
• nano

Anagrams

• Romic, cormi, crimo, moric

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mi.kʁo/

• Audio (France (Toulouse)):

  (file)

• Audio (Switzerland (Valais)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Noun

micro m (plural micros)

1. (sound engineering) clipping of microphone (“microphone”): mic
2. (computing) clipping of micro-ordinateur (“microcomputer”): micro
3. (obsolete) clipping of microscope (“microscope”)

Descendants

• Vietnamese: mi-crô

Further reading

• “micro”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Portuguese

Etymology

From micro-, typically as shortened forms for modern words formed with the prefix, ultimately from Ancient Greek μικρός (mikrós, “micro”).

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈmi.kɾu/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /mi.kɾɔ/

• Hyphenation: mi‧cro

Noun

micro m (plural micros)

1. (computing) clipping of microcomputador: micro
2. (sound engineering) clipping of microfone: mic
3. (Portugal) clipping of microondas (“microphone”): micro
4. (physics) alternative form of mícron (“micron”)

Noun

micro f (plural micros)

1. clipping of microrradiografia (“microradiography”)

See also

• mico

Further reading

• “micro”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “micro”, in Dicionário Eletrônico Houaiss [Houaiss Electronic Dictionary] (in Portuguese), São Paulo: UOL, 2004–2026
• “micro”, in Dicionário Infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026
• “micro”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN
• “micro”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmikɾo/ [ˈmi.kɾo]
• Rhymes: -ikɾo
• Syllabification: mi‧cro

Etymology 1

From micro-, typically as shortened forms for modern words formed with the prefix, ultimately from Ancient Greek μικρός (mikrós, “micro”).

Noun

micro m (plural micros)

1. (Spain) clipping of micrófono (“microphone”): mic
   • 2022 March 4, Alberto Palao Murcia, “DUA LIPA VIVE UN MOMENTO “TIERRA, TRÁGAME” CUANDO SE LE CAE EL MICRO EN MITAD DE UN CONCIERTO”, in Los 40‎^[2]:

     Y es que no todos los días te cae del cielo un micro de tu cantante favorita.

     It's not everyday that the microphone of your favorite singer falls from the sky.

   • 2022 February 22, M. C. P., “Un micro abierto deja al descubierto la visita al baño de un invitado de 'La noche en 24 horas'”, in ABC‎^[3]:

     Anoche, la víctima fue el espacio televisivo 'La Noche en 24 horas' (TVE), de Xabier Fortes, que tuvo que hacer frente al incómodo momento en el que un micro abierto captaba lo que parecía ser el grifo del baño y una voz.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2022 February 24, “Un micro abierto en Sálvame desvela la situación de Paz Padilla con el programa”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name)‎^[4]:

     Era entonces cuando el micrófono abierto de Lydia hacía el resto encendiendo una mecha que sigue vigente hoy en incontables medios digitales. Lozano aseguraba a uno de sus compañeros sin saber que su micro estaba abierto: "No se sabe nada. Ni que sí ni que no".

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. (soccer) clipping of microfútbol (“futsal”)
3. (Spain) clipping of microondas (“microphone”): micro

Etymology 2

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *mey-der.?

Ancient Greek μῑκρός (mīkrós)

Ancient Greek μῑκρο- (mīkro-)lbor.

Spanish micro-

Proto-Graeco-Phrygian *auto-

Proto-Hellenic *autós

Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewder.

Ancient Greek αὖ (aû)

Ancient Greek τόν (tón)

Ancient Greek αὐτός (autós)

Ancient Greek αὐτο- (auto-)lbor.

French auto-

Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁-

Proto-Indo-European *-yeti

Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti

Proto-Indo-European *m(y)owh₁éyeti

Proto-Italic *moweō

Latin moveō

Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom

Proto-Italic *-ðlom

Proto-Italic *-ðlis

Latin -bilis

Latin mōbilislbor.

French mobile

French automobile

Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep-der.

Proto-Italic *opnis

Latin omnis

Latin omnibuslbor.

French omnibus

French autobusbor.

Spanish (auto)bús

Spanish microbúsclip.

Spanish micro

Clipping of microbús.

Noun

micro m (plural micros)

1. (Mexico) minibus

   Synonyms: microbús, minibús, pesero, combi

   • 2016 June 8, Atracción 360, “¿Por qué les llamamos “Micros”?”, in Diego Pérez‎^[5]:

     Micros, peseras, camiones, colectivos, a lo largo de la historia el transporte público de México ha adquirido diversos nombres, pero ¿de dónde provienen?

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. (Argentina) public bus

   Synonyms: ómnibus, (Argentina, Peru) colectivo

   • 2022 March 4, “Encarcelan a hombre que empujó a mujer de un micro en movimiento”, in Correo del Sur‎^[6]:

     De acuerdo con la información que recogió CORREO DEL SUR, la noche del 24 de febrero el chofer de un micro se estaba recogiendo en su vehículo con su pareja por la zona de Lajastambo, donde, aparentemente, la mujer se cayó; por lo menos, eso es lo que dijo el hombre a las autoridades.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2022 February 27, “Dos mujeres heridas tras el vuelco de un micro en la autopista a Santa Fe”, in El Ciudadano‎^[7], archived from the original on 27 February 2022:

     Dos mujeres resultaron heridas este domingo tras el vuelco de un micro en la autopista Rosario-Santa Fe.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2022 March 2, “Una mujer está grave al ser atropellada por un micro en Godoy Cruz”, in Mendoza Post‎^[8]:

Noun

micro f (plural micros)

1. (Chile) public bus
   • 2022 January 12, Carlos Pizarro, “Accidente entre una micro y vehículo dejó a dos heridos de gravedad en Ñuñoa”, in Agricultura‎^[9], archived from the original on 5 March 2022:

     La coalición fue en las calles Rodrigo de Araya y Exequiel Fernández de la mencionada comuna de la región Metropolitana, donde una micro de la RED metropolitana de Movilidad (exTransantiago) no respetó la luz roja del semáforo, lo que provocó que impactará contra el auto del chofer de Uber.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2022 January 12, “Conductor de Uber internado de gravedad tras ser chocado por una micro”, in 24 Horas‎^[10]:

     La colisión, ocurrida en Rodrigo de Araya con Exequiel Fernández, se produjo porque la micro se habría saltado un semáforo en rojo, impactando al vehículo menor.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2022 February 22, “Hombre muere tras ser baleado al interior de una micro en Puente Alto”, in T13‎^[11]:

     Durante la mañana de este sábado un hombre murió tras ser baleado al interior de una micro en la comuna de Puente Alto.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Further reading

• “micro”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025