The term 'minute quantity' can refer to a very small amount of something, and this is reflected in the crossword solutions. Drib is a four-letter word meaning a small amount of liquid that falls or is produced in drops, while ATOM is a four-letter word referring to the smallest particle of an element that still retains its chemical properties. DROP is another four-letter word meaning a small amount of liquid, and IOTA is a four-letter word meaning a very small amount. Traceelement is a twelve-letter word referring to a chemical element present in only very small amounts in a given environment. All of these words together suggest a very small amount of something, which is the definition of 'minute quantity'.