miniature

American  

[min-ee-uh-cher, -choor, min-uh-cher] / ˈmɪn i ə tʃər, -ˌtʃʊər, ˈmɪn ə tʃər /

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.

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adjective

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

   Synonyms:

   minuscule, tiny, diminutive, microscopic, minute

idioms

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

   The zoo exhibition offered a jungle in miniature.

miniature British  

/ 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

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adjective

1. greatly reduced in size

2. on a small scale; minute

Other Word Forms

• superminiature adjective

Etymology

Origin of miniature

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 )

Example Sentences

“It doesn’t matter. The question is moot,” Jackson intones, before launching into a miniature stump speech.

From Salon

When connected to a small battery similar to those found in hearing aids, the material acts like a miniature electrochemical device.

From Science Daily

Ranging from cheap commercial devices designed for civilian use to explosive-packed miniature aircraft, drones are responsible for up to 80 percent of battlefield damage, Ukraine's Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has said.

From Barron's

The film suggests the words “I’ve changed” can be an earthquake and the potential devastation can be a miniature tragedy.

From The Wall Street Journal

Writing in Nature Communications, the team describes how they used a miniature electrochemical reactor to produce pores that approach subnanometer dimensions.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• mini
• pint-sized
• reduced
• scaled-down
• small
• small-scale
• tiny