Sentence:  He concluded that the anaconda 's maximum length is 12 or 13 ( perhaps 14 ) meters , which would approximate from 39 to 42 feet ( 14 meters is slightly <WSD>less</WSD> that 46 feet ) . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  (comparative of `little' usually used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning not as great in amount or degree