midget

American  

[mij-it] / ˈmɪdʒ ɪt /

noun

1. Older Use: Disparaging and Offensive. an abnormally small person having normal physical proportions.

2. any animal or thing that is very small for its kind.

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adjective

1. very small or of a class below the usual size.

2. being a miniature replica or model.

midget British  

/ ˈmɪdʒɪt /

noun

1. a dwarf whose skeleton and features are of normal proportions

2. 1. something small of its kind

   2. ( as modifier )

      a midget car

3. an age level of 16 to 17 in amateur sport, esp ice hockey

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Sensitive Note

A dwarf is someone with a medical condition that results in stunted growth (58 inches or shorter in height), with a physical form that is disproportionate or not normally developed in some way. The word midget is not a synonym; it is disparaging and offensive and should be avoided. It was formerly used for someone of proportionate form but abnormally small physical stature. The terms dwarf and little person are now preferable in reference to these short-statured people.

Other Word Forms

• midgetism noun

Etymology

Origin of midget

First recorded in 1850–55; midge + -et

Example Sentences

The team found, for example, that one cell type -- the "midget" retinal ganglion cell -- that is responsible for our ability to see fine detail, is not unique to primates, as it was thought to be.

From Science Daily

He’s won in sprint cars, midgets and trucks, won on a variety of surfaces and rarely seems to take days off.

From Seattle Times

“There are a lot of guys that are tall. He can sense that if there’s a mental midget on the court, it’s over.”

From Washington Post

Jeff Gordon was trading paint in quarter midgets in Northern California 11 years before he was old enough to have a driver’s license.

From Los Angeles Times

But given everything he drives — stock cars, sprints, midgets — he sees more new tracks than just about anyone.

From Seattle Times