miniature

[min-ee-uh-cher, -choor, min-uh-cher]

noun

1. a representation or image of something on a small or reduced scale.

2. a greatly reduced or abridged form or copy.

3. a very small painting, especially a portrait, on ivory, vellum, or the like.

4. the art of executing such a painting.

5. an illumination in an illuminated manuscript or book.

adjective

1. being, on, or represented on a small scale; reduced.

   Synonyms: minuscule, tiny, diminutive, microscopic, minute

miniature

/ ˈmɪnɪtʃə /

noun

1. a model, copy, or similar representation on a very small scale

2. anything that is very small of its kind

3. a very small painting, esp a portrait, showing fine detail on ivory or vellum

4. a very small bottle of whisky or other spirits, which can hold 50 millilitres

5. an illuminated letter or other decoration in a manuscript

6. on a small scale

   games are real life in miniature

adjective

1. greatly reduced in size

2. on a small scale; minute

Other Word Forms

• superminiature adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of miniature¹

1580–90; < Italian miniatura miniature painting < Medieval Latin miniātūra, equivalent to miniāt ( us ) ( miniate ) + -ūra -ure; sense development perhaps influenced by Latin base min- ( mini-, minor )

Word History and Origins

Origin of miniature¹

C16: from Italian, from Medieval Latin miniātūra, from miniāre to paint red, (in illuminating manuscripts); from _minium

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in miniature, in a reduced size; on a small scale.

   The zoo exhibition offered a jungle in miniature.

Example Sentences

After lights out and some sleep, his ideal Sunday picks up hours later and is filled with plenty of coffee, some miniature golf or a nature walk and more.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Luckily, three years before, the company had taken a plaster cast of the trophy in order to make a miniature for Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Read more on BBC

Rocki Irish Mayers was born on 13 September, the singer announced in an Instagram post, sharing a snap of her cradling her daughter alongside a picture of miniature pink boxing gloves.

Read more on BBC

The two accompanied one another as they walked through bookcases filled with leather-bound volumes, before inspecting some of the miniatures made especially for the world's largest dollhouse.

Read more on BBC

It offers the world in miniature, for the world comes to it.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• mini 
• pint-sized 
• reduced 
• scaled-down www.thesaurus.com
• small 
• small-scale 
• tiny