gigantism
Americannoun
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Pathology. abnormally great development in size or stature of the whole body or of parts of the body, most often due to dysfunction of the pituitary gland.
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Biology. the nonpathological development of an animal or plant to an unusually large size.
noun
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Also called: giantism. excessive growth of the entire body, caused by over-production of growth hormone by the pituitary gland during childhood or adolescence Compare acromegaly
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the state or quality of being gigantic
Etymology
Origin of gigantism
First recorded in 1880–85; from Latin gigant-, stem of gigās; see origin at giant, -ism
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Researchers discovered especially striking examples of "island gigantism" in wrens from Shetland and St Kilda.
From Science Daily • May 28, 2026
The ability to continue growing throughout the year may have been a key innovation, sustained by great migrations, that facilitated the emergence of gigantism in early sauropods.
From Scientific American • Aug. 15, 2023
Even the plane’s main appeal, its gigantism, has drawn criticism as a holdover of Soviet mentality that Ukraine has no need for today.
From New York Times • Mar. 27, 2023
Knowing that people with gigantism often died young, Hunter offered to buy his corpse.
From Washington Post • Jan. 24, 2023
I walk to Mom and Dad’s bedroom with the evidence of my gigantism still on my back.
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
