also miniseries "television series of short duration and on a single theme," 1971, from mini- + series.

1610s, "a number or set of things of one kind arranged in a line," from Latin series "row, chain, series, sequence, succession," from serere "to join, link, bind together, arrange, attach, put; join in speech, discuss," from PIE root *ser- (2) "to line up."

Meaning "set of printed works published consecutively" is from 1711. Meaning "set of radio or television programs with the same characters and themes" is attested from 1949. Baseball sense "set of games on consecutive days between the same teams" is from 1862.

1961, abbreviation of mini-car, a small car made by British Leyland (formerly British Motor Corp.). As an abbreviation of miniskirt, it is attested from 1966.

word-forming element meaning "miniature, minor," abstracted from miniature, with sense perhaps influenced by minimum. The vogue for mini- as a prefix in English word coinage dates from c. 1960; minicam for "miniature camera" (1937) is an early use.

also mini-skirt, "skirt with a hem-line well above the knee," 1965, from mini- + skirt (n.); reputedly the invention of French fashion designer André Courrèges (1923-2016).

"The miniskirt enables young ladies to run faster, and because of it, they may have to." [John V. Lindsay, New York Times, Jan. 13, 1967]

Related: Miniskirted.

1957, "make an electronic noise" (originally in reference to Sputnik), from bleep (n.); specific sense of "edit a sound over a word deemed unfit for broadcast" is from 1964. Related: Bleeped; bleeping. Bleeper "pager consisting of a mini radio receiver that announces reception of signals by emitting a bleeping noise" is from 1964.

"a group, system, or series of eight," 1801; see octa- + -ad.