munchkin

American  

[muhnch-kin] / ˈmʌntʃ kɪn /

noun

(often initial capital letter)

1. a small person, especially one who is dwarfish or elfin in appearance.

2. Informal. a child.

   The munchkins enjoyed holding and feeding the animals in the petting zoo.

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munchkin British  

/ ˈmʌntʃkɪn /

noun

1. informal an undersized person or a child, esp an appealing one

2. a breed of medium-sized cat with short legs

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Etymology

Origin of munchkin

After the Munchkins, a dwarflike race portrayed in L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) and other fantasy novels

Example Sentences

My current favorite smart home use: I say “wind down” in my baby’s room and the lights slowly ramp down to give my munchkin the visual cue that it’s bedtime.

From Washington Post • Jan. 6, 2023

Nicole, a munchkin, and Mickey, the scarecrow, talked for hours while painting a backdrop of the Wicked Witch’s crows.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 6, 2022

So, because of that and the fact that the munchkin is watching more TV than normal because he is not at preschool, we are spending a bit more on gas and electricity.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2020

These munchkin pics probably won’t mellow out Twitter, but I find that, even with their small presence, they help rehumanize the site.

From Slate • Apr. 9, 2018

Sitti stroked her face saying, “Ya Habibi, Habibti,” cackling like a giddy munchkin.

From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye