bantam

¹ American  

[ban-tuhm] / ˈbæn təm /

noun

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

2. a small and feisty or quarrelsome person.

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adjective

1. diminutive; tiny.

   bantam editions of the classics.

   Synonyms:

   Lilliputian, pygmy, wee, petite, small, miniature

Bantam ² American  

[ban-tuhm, bahn-tahm] / ˈbæn təm, bɑnˈtɑm /

noun

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

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bantam British  

/ ˈbæntəm /

noun

1. any of various very small breeds of domestic fowl

2. a small but aggressive person

3. boxing short for bantamweight

4. 1. an age level of between 13 and 15 in amateur sport, esp ice hockey

   2. ( as modifier )

      bantam hockey

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Etymology

Origin of bantam

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

Example Sentences

Her 14-year old son, Evan Smolik, was a goalie on a bantam team in a league that did not require neck guards.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 12, 2023

In March 2023, the bantam hen from Michigan was crowned the world's oldest living chicken by Guinness World Records.

From DOGO News • Sep. 19, 2023

He was skinny as a young man, and the Toronto Globe and Mail once quoted some of his fellow fliers as saying he was “more like a wiry bantam weight.”

From Washington Post • May 21, 2022

What they want are players such as 15-year-old Paula Martínez, one of two girls in the bantam age group — and one 270 girls playing hockey nationwide, according to the federation.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2022

One of the old men caught his visitor, another old fellow, stealing his bantam; the owner spotted its black feet sticking out of his guest’s sweater.

From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston