The Aramaic/Hebrew word ze'ir (H2200) means small, little, or a little while. It appears primarily in the Aramaic sections of Daniel and is cognate to the Hebrew tsa'ir (H6810, small/young). In Daniel, it is used to describe the humble beginnings of Alexander the Great's goat horn (Daniel 8:9) — the 'little horn' that grew exceedingly great. The term is also used adverbially to mean 'in a little while' or 'a short time.'
The theological significance of ze'ir lies in the prophetic pattern: what begins small (ze'ir) can become overwhelmingly powerful — for good or evil. The 'little horn' in Daniel represents a kingdom that starts insignificantly but rises to persecute God's people and exalt itself against heaven. Yet the book of Daniel consistently shows that even the greatest human powers are ze'ir before God: the Ancient of Days sits on His throne, and kingdoms that seem immense are cast down like chaff. Jesus uses a similar dynamic: the kingdom of God begins like a mustard seed — the smallest of seeds — but becomes the greatest of trees (Matthew 13:31-32).