dwarf

[[t]dwɔrf[/t]]

n. pl. dwarfs, dwarves, adj. v.

1) pat a person of abnormally small stature owing to a pathological condition, esp. a condition that produces short limbs or anatomical deformation

2) bot zool. an animal or plant much smaller than the average of its kind or species

3) myt a diminutive being of folklore, often represented as a tiny old man, skilled as an artificer and having magical powers

4) astron.

dwarf star

5) of unusually small stature or size; diminutive

6) to cause to seem small in size, character, etc., as by being much larger

7) to prevent the due development of; stunt

8) to become stunted or smaller

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Etymology: bef. 900; OE dweorh, dweorg; c. OHG twerg, ON dvergr dwarf′like`, adj. syn: dwarf, midget, Pygmy are terms for a very small person. A dwarf is someone checked in growth or stunted, or in some way not normally formed. A midget (not in technical use) is someone normally proportioned, but diminutive. A Pygmy is properly a member of one of certain small-sized peoples of Africa and Asia, but the word is often used imprecisely to mean dwarf or midget. dwarf is a term often used to describe very small plants. Pygmy is used to describe very small animals.