dwarf

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English dwergh, dwerw, dwerf, from Old English dweorg, from Proto-West Germanic *dwerg, from Proto-Germanic *dwergaz. Cognate with Scots droich, dwerch (“dwarf, midget”); Old High German twerc (German, Luxembourgish Zwerg (“dwarf”)); Old Norse dvergr (Danish dværg (“dwarf, midget”), Faroese dvørgur (“dwarf”), Icelandic dvergur (“dwarf”), Norwegian Bokmål dverg (“dwarf”), Norwegian Nynorsk dverg, verg (“dwarf”), Swedish dvärg (“dwarf”)); Old Frisian dwirg (Saterland Frisian Dwärch (“dwarf”), West Frisian dwerch (“dwarf”)); Middle Low German dwerch, dwarch, twerg (German Low German Dwarg (“dwarf”)); Middle Dutch dwerch, dworch (Dutch dwerg (“dwarf”)). The Modern English noun has undergone complex phonetic changes. The form dwarf is the regular continuation of Old English dweorg, but the plural dweorgas would have given rise to dwarrows and the oblique stem dweorge- would have led to dwery. These forms are sometimes found as the nominative singular in Middle English texts and in English dialects. A parallel case is that of Old English burg giving burgh, borough, burrow, bury. === Pronunciation === (General American) enPR: dwôrf, IPA(key): /dwɔɹf/ (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /dwɔːf/ Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)f === Noun === dwarf (plural dwarfs or dwarves) (mythology) Any member of a race of beings from (especially Scandinavian and other Germanic) folklore, usually depicted as having some sort of supernatural powers and being skilled in crafting and metalworking, often as short with long beards, and sometimes as clashing with elves. Synonyms: dwarfin (rare), dwarrow (rare) (now sometimes offensive) A person of short stature, often one whose limbs are disproportionately small in relation to the body as compared with typical adults, usually as the result of a genetic condition. Synonyms: elf, midget, pygmy (imprecise) Antonyms: ettin (archaic), giant An animal, plant or other thing much smaller than the usual of its sort. Synonym: runt (astronomy) A dwarf star. Hypernyms: main-sequence star < star < celestial body Hyponyms: red dwarf, blue dwarf, yellow dwarf, white dwarf, black dwarf, brown dwarf Coordinate terms: subgiant, giant, bright giant, supergiant, hypergiant ==== Usage notes ==== At first, dwarfs was the only normative plural in modern English, and dwarves was considered incorrect. After J. R. R. Tolkien used dwarves in his works, that form became an acceptable plural for the mythological beings. For a non-mythological dwarf (people with dwarfism, small plants, animals, planets, stars, etc.), dwarfs has remained the preferred plural form. The use of dwarf to describe people with dwarfism is currently considered to be offensive by some. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Adjective === dwarf (comparative dwarfer, superlative dwarfest) (especially in botany) Miniature. ==== Translations ==== === Verb === dwarf (third-person singular simple present dwarfs, present participle dwarfing, simple past and past participle dwarfed) (transitive) To render (much) smaller, turn into a dwarf (version). Synonyms: miniaturize, shrink (transitive) To make appear (much) smaller, puny, tiny; to be much larger than. (transitive) To make appear insignificant. Synonyms: eclipse, overshadow, outshadow, outshine, outdo, put to shame, upstage, surpass, outmatch, outstrip (intransitive) To become (much) smaller. Synonym: shrink To hinder from growing to the natural size; to make or keep small; to stunt. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === References === === Further reading === Dwarf on Wikipedia.Wikipedia