dwarfish

dwarfish
dwarf ► NOUN (pl. dwarfs or dwarves) 1) a member of a mythical race of short, stocky human-like creatures. 2) an abnormally small person. 3) (before another noun ) (of an animal or plant) much smaller than is usual for its type or species. 4) (also dwarf star) Astronomy a star of relatively small size and low luminosity.
► VERB ▪ cause to seem small in comparison.
DERIVATIVES dwarfish adjective.
USAGE In the sense ‘an abnormally small person’, dwarf is normally considered offensive. However, there is no accepted alternative, since terms such as person of restricted growth have gained little currency.
ORIGIN Old English.

English terms dictionary. 2015.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Dwarfish — Dwarf ish, a. Like a dwarf; below the common stature or size; very small; petty; as, a dwarfish animal, shrub. {Dwarf ish*ly}, adv. {Dwarf ish*ness}, n. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • dwarfish — 1560s, from DWARF (Cf. dwarf) + ISH (Cf. ish) …   Etymology dictionary

  • dwarfish — adjective see dwarf I …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • dwarfish — dwarfishly, adv. dwarfishness, n. /dwawr fish/, adj. like a dwarf, esp. in being abnormally small; diminutive. [1555 65; DWARF + ISH1] Syn. pygmy, tiny, stunted, runty. * * * …   Universalium

  • dwarfish — adjective Like a dwarf; being especially small …   Wiktionary

  • dwarfish — dwarf·ish (dworґfish) pertaining to or like a dwarf; called also nanoid and nanous …   Medical dictionary

  • dwarfish — (Roget s IV) modif. Syn. diminutive, tiny, small, minute; see little 1 …   English dictionary for students

  • dwarfish — dwarf·ish || dwÉ”rfɪʃ / dwɔːf adj. like a dwarf, stunted, undersized, tiny …   English contemporary dictionary

  • dwarfish — a. Stunted, dwarfed, undersized, diminutive, small, little, tiny, liliputian, pygmean, pygmy …   New dictionary of synonyms

  • dwarfish — adj runty, pygmy, undersized, squat, stunted, atrophied, stubby, dumpy, truncated, scrubby, wizened, (of trees or shrubbery) pollard; short, little, small, miniature, miniscule, minikin, diminutive, tiny, half pint, elfin, bantam, slight,… …   A Note on the Style of the synonym finder

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