soupçon

n.
A very small amount; a trace: not a soupçon of mercy.

[French, from Old French sospeçon, suspicion, from Latin suspectiō, suspectiōn-, fear, from suspectus, past participle of suspicere, to suspect. See suspect.]

or soupçon

(soop-SON, SOOP-son)

noun
A very small amount.

Etymology
From French soupçon (suspicion), via Middle French, Late Latin, from Latin suspicere (to look from below, or suspect). Ultimately from Indo-European root spek- (to observe) which is also the ancestor of such words as suspect, spectrum, bishop (literally, overseer), espionage, despise, and telescope

Usage
"Couldn't Bob Levey and Jim Talens have a soupcon of sympathy for the Costco Dad? Where was he supposed to go to change that diaper?" — Bob Levey; Changing a Diaper on a Costco Conveyor Belt; The Washington Post; Feb 6, 2003.

"Remember that white ruffled blouse you bought last spring? Wear it under a pinstripe suit and you'll be right in step with the biggest womenswear trend of the season: the menswear look with a soupcon of femininity." — Pam Thomas; The Feel of Fall; The Providence Journal (Rhode Island); Oct 6, 2002.

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noun

A slight amount or indication: breath, dash, ghost, hair, hint, intimation, semblance, shade, shadow, streak, suggestion, suspicion, taste, tinge, touch, trace, whiff, whisper. Informal whisker. See big/small/amount, show/hide.

IN BRIEF: n. - A slight but appreciable addition.

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: a slight but appreciable addition
  Synonyms: touch, hint, tinge, mite, pinch, jot, speck

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