midget

American  

[mij-it] / ˈmɪdʒ ɪt /

noun

midgets plural

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

Derived Forms

• midgetism
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• midgets
  plural

Etymology

Origin of midget

First recorded in 1850–55; midge + -et

Explanation

Midget is an offensive term for someone who is much smaller than average. While it's acceptable today to describe an inanimate object with the adjective midget, it's never okay to use the word for a person. Long ago, people felt free to describe little people as midgets — for example, the actors who played the Munchkins in the 1939 movie "The Wizard of Oz" were routinely described as midgets. Today we'd avoid describing these actors by their physical characteristics, but if we did they'd be called "little people," "dwarfs," "LP," or even "people of short stature." Save midget for midget crabapples or midget submarines.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

midget midgets

By analyzing large-scale gene expression data using statistical inference approaches, the researchers discovered evolutionary counterparts of midget cells in all other mammals, though these counterparts occurred in much smaller proportions.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 13, 2023

Its has about 70 submarines, including Romeo-class vessels of Soviet-era design, and midget submarines.

From Reuters ● Sep. 8, 2023

“P.T. Barnum turned midget into a word to describe a human,” said Aubrey Smalls, an actor and filmmaker with dwarfism.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2023

“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 ● Mar. 23, 2023

Baby Kochamma and Kochu Maria, the vinegar-hearted, short- tempered, midget cook, were the only people left in the Ayemenem House when Estha was re-Returned.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

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 ● Feb. 22, 2023

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

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 3, 2022

“I’ve been a race fan all my life,” said Newman, an Indiana native who started racing quarter midgets when he was 4.

From Washington Post ● May 14, 2020

Because his father’s company made racecar parts, Smoker was driving quarter midgets, similar to go-karts, at the age of 5.

From New York Times ● Oct. 4, 2016

My elementary school was the tiniest of midgets, compared to the giant that was Iona.

From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge