What does exactly does さま mean in dictionary definitions?


I've been using Japanese-Japanese dictionaries for a while now and this keeps
popping up. It seems to me like a kind of usage that is found for the most
part only in dictionaries. Can anyone help explain what exactly さま means in
the dictionary definition below? (It's from
[大辞泉](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&stype=0&dtype=0&dname=0na&p=%E3%81%95%E3%81%95%E3%82%84%E3%81%8B).)
It seems to be just a generic object that they modify with the term's
definition, i.e. XYZ is a blah blah blah さま (thing).

> ささ‐やか【細やか】
>
> ［形動］［文］［ナリ］１ 形や規模があまり大げさでなく、控えめな **さま** 。「―な商売をはじめる」「―に暮らす」

Any clarification would be really appreciated.




The `さま` in these definitions is none other than `様`. `様` in this sense is
synonymous with `有【あり】様` or `様子`, meaning "state, circumstances, situation,
appearance, condition".

So the definition of `細やか` you provided would translate as "shape/scope not
being grandiose or exaggerated, but being (a) reserved/moderate/conservative
(state)".

