dwarf

dwarf
I UK [dwɔː(r)f] / US [dwɔrf] noun [countable]
Word forms "dwarf":
singular dwarf plural dwarves UK [dwɔː(r)vz] / US [dwɔrvz] or dwarfs
1) an imaginary creature in children's stories that looks like a very small old man
2) old-fashioned an offensive word for a person affected with the medical condition of dwarfism
3) science a very small star that does not shine brightly

II UK [dwɔː(r)f] / US [dwɔrf] adjective biology
a dwarf tree, plant, or animal is much shorter or smaller than others of the same type

III UK [dwɔː(r)f] / US [dwɔrf] verb [transitive, often passive]
Word forms "dwarf":
present tense I/you/we/they dwarf he/she/it dwarfs present participle dwarfing past tense dwarfed past participle dwarfed
1) to make something seem small or unimportant

Our small investment has been dwarfed by what the private sector has put in.

2) to make someone seem small

At over 1.80 metres in height, she dwarfs her opponents.


English dictionary. 2014.

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  • Dwarf — may refer to: A person with dwarfism Dwarf (Germanic mythology), a being from Germanic mythology and folklore. Contents 1 Biology 2 Modern popular culture …   Wikipedia

  • dwarf — dwarf; dwarf·ish; dwarf·ism; dwarf·ling; dwarf·ness; sub·dwarf; semi·dwarf; dwarf·ish·ly; dwarf·ish·ness; …   English syllables

  • Dwarf — Dwarf, n.; pl. {Dwarfs}. [OE. dwergh, dwerf, dwarf, AS. dweorg, dweorh; akin to D. dwerg, MHG. twerc, G. zwerg, Icel. dvergr, Sw. & Dan. dverg; of unknown origin.] 1. An animal or plant which is much below the ordinary size of its species or kind …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • dwarf — n Dwarf, pygmy, midget, manikin, homunculus, runt are comparable when they mean an individual and usually a person of diminutive size. Dwarf is the general term not only for a human being but for any animal or plant that is definitely below the… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • dwarf — [dwôrf] n. pl. dwarfs or dwarves [dwôrvz] [ME dwerf, dwergh < OE dweorg, akin to Ger zwerg < IE * dhwergh , prob. < base * dhwer , to trick, injure > Sans dhvarati, (he) injures] 1. any human being, animal, or plant that is much… …   English World dictionary

  • Dwarf — Dwarf, v. i. To become small; to diminish in size. [1913 Webster] Strange power of the world that, the moment we enter it, our great conceptions dwarf. Beaconsfield. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • dwarf — [adj] miniature, tiny baby, diminutive, low, petite, pocket, small, undersized; concept 773 Ant. big, giant, huge, large dwarf [n] very small person bantam, dwarfling, homunculus, Lilliputian*, midget, Tom Thumb*; concept 424 Ant. giant dwarf …   New thesaurus

  • dwarf — ► NOUN (pl. dwarfs or dwarves) 1) a member of a mythical race of short, stocky human like creatures. 2) an abnormally small person. 3) (before another noun ) (of an animal or plant) much smaller than is usual for its type or species. 4) (also… …   English terms dictionary

  • Dwarf — Dwarf, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Dwarfed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Dwarfing}.] To hinder from growing to the natural size; to make or keep small; to stunt. Addison. [1913 Webster] Even the most common moral ideas and affections . . . would be stunted and… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • dwarf — dwarf. См. нанизм. (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) …   Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.

  • dwarf — index lessen, minimize Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

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