bantam

[ ban-tuhm ]

/ ˈbæn təm /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for bantam on Thesaurus.com

noun

(often initial capital letter) a chicken of any of several varieties or breeds characterized by very small size.

a small and feisty or quarrelsome person.

adjective

diminutive; tiny: bantam editions of the classics.

OTHER WORDS FOR bantam

3 miniature, small, petite, wee, pygmy, Lilliputian.

See synonyms for bantam on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of bantam

1740–50; apparently after Bantam, through which such chickens may have been imported to Europe

Words nearby bantam

bans, bansela, banshee, Banstead, bant, bantam, bantamweight, Bantam work, banteng, banter, ban-the-bomber

Other definitions for bantam (2 of 2)

Bantam

[ ban-tuhm; Dutch bahn-tahm ]

/ ˈbæn təm; Dutch bɑnˈtɑm /

noun

a village in W Java, in S Indonesia: first Dutch settlement in the East Indies.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bantam in a sentence

Lonard thinks ha-ha-ha and tells Bantam that the rights have reverted to him, which they have.
Elmore Leonard’s Rocky Road to Fame and Fortune|Mike Lupica|September 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bantam calls and says, “We must publish Juvenal [original title].”
Elmore Leonard’s Rocky Road to Fame and Fortune|Mike Lupica|September 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This seems like a bit too much bantam strutting, when the jury is literally still out in much of the country.
How the Tide Turned on Gay Marriage|Michael Signer|June 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Heinz wrote the book in his makeshift den, a bantam-size office that he had constructed off the TV room in a corner of his garage.
The Night Vince Lombardi Lay Awake Brooding Over a 49-0 Win|W.C. Heinz|January 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST

In another study, “one man reported that he felt compelled to incubate and help hatch out a clutch of bantam chickens.”
Will I Get Fat? 15 Signs You'll Gain Weight|Anneli Rufus|November 10, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The little bantam can crow quicker, oftener and with more ginger than any other rooster on the place.
The Red Cow and Her Friends|Peter McArthur
The mud was too deep for the Shanghai to run and the bantam killed him.
South American Fights and Fighters|Cyrus Townsend Brady
The full-bred Bantam-cock should not weigh more than a pound.
The Book of Sports:|William Martin
Then he put the seven eggs in the nest carefully, and got the little bantam hen and put her in, too.
Dew Drops, Vol. 37, No. 15, April 12, 1914|Various
Mother Bantam would cluck and run back and forth in the coop and call to them, she was so afraid something would happen.
Dew Drops, Vol. 37, No. 15, April 12, 1914|Various

British Dictionary definitions for bantam

bantam

/ (ˈbæntəm) /

noun

any of various very small breeds of domestic fowl

a small but aggressive person

boxing short for bantamweight

Canadian

an age level of between 13 and 15 in amateur sport, esp ice hockey
(as modifier)bantam hockey

Word Origin for bantam

C18: after Bantam village in Java, said to be the original home of this fowl

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

bantam

OTHER WORDS FOR bantam

Origin of bantam

Words nearby bantam

Other definitions for bantam (2 of 2)

Words related to bantam

How to use bantam in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bantam

Word Origin for bantam