dwarf
a person of abnormally small physical stature resulting from a medical or genetic condition, especially a person with achondroplasia or some other disease that produces disproportion or deformation of features and limbs.
an animal or plant much smaller than the average of its kind or species.
(in folklore) a being in the form of a small, often misshapen man, usually having magic powers.
Astronomy. dwarf star.
of unusually small stature or size; diminutive.
to cause to appear or seem small in size, extent, character, etc., as by being much larger or better: He dwarfed all his rivals in athletic ability.
to make dwarf or dwarfish; prevent the due development of.
to become stunted or smaller.
Origin of dwarf
1usage note For dwarf
Other words for dwarf
Opposites for dwarf
Other words from dwarf
- dwarf·like, adjective
- dwarf·ness, noun
- un·dwarfed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use dwarf in a sentence
The Kebler aspens dwarfed me, indeed, but better yet they left me with a sense of embeddedness and immersion, a sense of how habitat holds us.
General Tom Thumb, a dwarf, danced and sang in Revolutionary War regalia.
When Science Was the Best Show in America - Issue 93: Forerunners | Lee Alan Dugatkin | November 18, 2020 | NautilusSmaller, cooler, older red dwarf stars are far more abundant than sun-like stars.
There Could Be 300 Million (or More) Earth-Like Planets in Our Galaxy | Jason Dorrier | November 8, 2020 | Singularity HubOn Thursday, 116,707 new cases were reported, the second straight record for a single day and a figure that dwarfed the total for any day in the previous worst two periods of the outbreak, in April and July.
Virus spreads in much of the U.S., setting records and straining health care | Lenny Bernstein, Joel Achenbach, Alexandra Hinojosa, Carolyn Y. Johnson | November 6, 2020 | Washington PostNow compare Pluto to the closest of the Centauri stars, a diminutive red dwarf called Proxima.
We Never Know Exactly Where We’re Going in Outer Space - Issue 92: Frontiers | Caleb Scharf | November 4, 2020 | Nautilus
And who can blame them for feeling disenfranchised when they see their efforts dwarfed by the mega donors.
Even if there are a few more, the list is dwarfed by the number of famous progressive comedians.
Normally, Gaga would be working with the giant teddy bears, not getting dwarfed by them.
But both groups were dwarfed by a large gathering in the park of a group called Egyptian Americans for Democracy and Human Rights.
In what sense can the government "hold her accountable" in any way that is not dwarfed by her own conscience, and memory?
For every detail is so marvellously symmetrical that no one is dwarfed, no one challenges special attention.
Glances at Europe | Horace GreeleyThe restoration of stolen goods was probably dwarfed in his mind by the importance of capturing the stealers.
Raw Gold | Bertrand W. SinclairEverything relating to human affairs seemed dwarfed in such immensity.
Mystery Ranch | Arthur ChapmanAll the dull months he had spent with Cash and the burros dwarfed into a pointless, irrelevant incident of his life.
Cabin Fever | B. M. BowerHow stunted and dwarfed the groves of our new academies when compared with the rich luxuriance of the gardens of Trinity!
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III. | E. Farr and E. H. Nolan
British Dictionary definitions for dwarf
/ (dwɔːf) /
an abnormally undersized person, esp one with a large head and short arms and legs: Compare midget
an animal or plant much below the average height for the species
(as modifier): a dwarf tree
(in folklore) a small ugly manlike creature, often possessing magical powers
astronomy short for dwarf star
to become or cause to become comparatively small in size, importance, etc
(tr) to stunt the growth of
Origin of dwarf
1Derived forms of dwarf
- dwarfish, adjective
- dwarfishly, adverb
- dwarfishness, noun
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
Scientific definitions for dwarf
[ dwôrf ]
An abnormally small person, often having limbs and features atypically proportioned or formed.
An atypically small animal or plant.
A dwarf star or dwarf galaxy.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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