marginal

jargon 1. Extremely small. "A marginal increase in core

can decrease GC time drastically." In everyday terms, this

means that it is a lot easier to clean off your desk if you

have a spare place to put some of the junk while you sort

through it.

2. Of extremely small merit. "This proposed new feature seems

rather marginal to me."

3. Of extremely small probability of winning. "The power

supply was rather marginal anyway; no wonder it fried."

[Jargon File]

(1994-10-21)