Etymology tree
Proto-Germanic *dwergaz
Proto-West Germanic *dwerg
Old English dweorg
Middle English dwergh
English dwarf
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.
Meanings
(especially, in botany) Miniature.
It is possible to grow the plants as dwarf as one desires.
The specimen is a very dwarf form of the plant.
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
dwarfest
Degree=Sup
lexicographic
dwarfer
Degree=Cmp
lexicographic
Translations (23)
mk џуџест (miniature) · no dverg- (miniature) · he נַנָּס (miniature) · de Zwerg- (miniature) · sl pritlikav (miniature) · cs trpaslík (miniature) · fr naine (miniature) · he גַמָּדִי (miniature) · sv dvärg- (miniature) · bg дребен (miniature) · fi kääpiö- (miniature) · ar قَزَمِيّ (miniature) · pt nanico (miniature) · fr nain (miniature) · ru ка́рликовый (miniature) · es enano (miniature) · pl karłowaty (miniature) · nl dwerg- (miniature) · th แคระ (miniature) · de zwergenhaft (miniature) · ja 矮性 (miniature) · la pūmilus (miniature) · ro minuscul (miniature)
Etymology tree
Proto-Germanic *dwergaz
Proto-West Germanic *dwerg
Old English dweorg
Middle English dwergh
English dwarf
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.
Meanings
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.
Nidavellir, which is sometimes called Svartalfheim, where the dwarfs (who are also known as dark elves) live beneath the mountains and build their remarkable creations. 2017, Neil Gaiman, Norse Mythology, Bloomsbury Publishing, page 20:
[T]he elf king and his queen made a royal progress every noon with a splendid retinue of dwarves and sprites, […] 1973, Thomas Pynchon, Gravity's Rainbow, 1st US edition, New York: Viking Press, →ISBN, part 3: In the Zone, page 419:
(offensive, sometimes) 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.
The nurse exclaimed it when I finally arrived, a month late (a habit I have kept). That's how my parents found out that I was a little person, a dwarf, of short stature. 2014 September 12, Cara Reedy, “My life as a little person”, in CNN, archived from the original on 17 Feb 2016:
An animal, plant or other thing much smaller than the usual of its sort.
dwarf honeysuckle
dwarf tree
A dwarf star.
But none of those brown dwarfs were speeding along on a trajectory that would carry them out of the galaxy like “runaway” hypervelocity stars observed by astronomers in the last two decades. […] The study team said it’s likely the star was a companion to a white dwarf star, which is the remaining core of a dead star that has expelled the gases that serve as its nuclear fuel. 2024 August 21, Ashley Strickland, “An unusual object is moving so fast it could escape the Milky Way. Scientists aren’t certain what it is”, in CNN, archived from the original on 24 Sep 2024:
gl sanicouco (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · bg джудже́ (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · gd troich (small person) · sk trpaslík (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · cs skřítek (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · he גַּמָּד (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · da dværg (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · nci tzapatzin (small person) · de Zwergin (small person) · mt nanu (small person) · vi chú lùn (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · io nano (small person) · ru ка́рлица (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · tg қадпаст (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · lt nykštukas (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · pl karzeł (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · ca nan (small person) · hu törpe (small person) · gl tozo (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · ru ка́рлик (astronomy: relatively small star) · ka ჯუჯა (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · sv dvärg (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · hi बौना (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · lv pundurzvaigzne (astronomy: relatively small star) · mi whena (small person) · de Zwerg (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · uz pakana (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · be гном (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · it nano (small person) · gl nano (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · ky эргежээл (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · fr naine (astronomy: relatively small star) · uk ка́рлик (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · sq xhuxh (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · af dwerg (small person) · tr cüce (astronomy: relatively small star) · sh patúljak (astronomy: relatively small star) · my ပုတို (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · it nana (astronomy: relatively small star) · gl sanicouco (small person) · pl karzeł (small person) · ja 侏儒 (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · la pūmilus (small person) · nn dverg (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · la nānus (small person) · ar حَنْدَل (small person) · he נַנָּס (small person) · cmn 矮人 (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · pl skrzat (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · is dvergur (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · de Zwerg (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · ur بَونا (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · non dvergr (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · mt nanu (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · ga abhac (astronomy: relatively small star) · uz mitti (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · da dværg (small person) · hu törpe (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · nds Dwarg (small person) · ru ка́рлик (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · fi kääpiö (small person) · cs skřítek (small person) · vi người lùn (small person) · ca nana (astronomy: relatively small star) · de Zwerg (small person) · cy cor (small person) · kk қортық (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · pl krasnoludek (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · ckb باڵابستە (small person) · es estrella enana (astronomy: relatively small star) · cs trpaslík (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · es enano (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · sl škrat (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · kk тырбық (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · de Zwergstern (astronomy: relatively small star) · de Zwergin (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · mi roiroi (small person) · gd fo-phlanaid (astronomy: relatively small star) · tg пакана (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · gl anano (small person) · sh пату́љак (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · el νάνος (astronomy: relatively small star) · cs permoník (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · fa-ira کوتولِه (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · it nana (small person) · te గిడ్డ (small person) · sl palčica (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · az cırtdan (small person) · oc nana (astronomy: relatively small star) · fi kääpiö (astronomy: relatively small star) · ang dweorg (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · id kurcaci (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · gl anana (astronomy: relatively small star) · nl dwerg (small person) · lo ຄົນແຈ້ (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · sl palček (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · gl recoteno (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · af dwerg (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · ka ქონდრისკაცი (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · sh patúljak (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · hu törpe (astronomy: relatively small star) · sh пату́љак (astronomy: relatively small star) · he נַנָּס (astronomy: relatively small star) · ro pitic (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · fa-ira کوتولِگی (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · el νάνος (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · es enana (astronomy: relatively small star) · th คนแคระ (small person) · da dværg (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · ar قَزَمَة (small person) · da dværg (astronomy: relatively small star) · sv dvärg (astronomy: relatively small star) · lb Zwak (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · ja 小人 (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · mi pūwhenua (small person) · ca nano (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · gd luspardan (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · cmn 侏儒 (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · sco droich (small person) · be ка́рлік (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · io nano (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · fr nain (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · tr cüce (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · fr naine (small person) · gl anano (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · pt anã (small person) · fr nain (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · io kurtacho (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · ja 矮星 (astronomy: relatively small star) · cs pidimužík (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · ko 드베르그 (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · bg джудже́ (small person) · hu törpe (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · cmn 矮星 (astronomy: relatively small star) · fo dvørgur (small person) · tr minik (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · cmn 矮子 (small person) · cs trpaslík (astronomy: relatively small star) · ro pitică (astronomy: relatively small star) · th คนแคระ (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · lmo nan (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · cs trpaslík (small person) · fr naine (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · bg джудже́ (astronomy: relatively small star) · is dvergur (small person) · la pumilio (astronomy: relatively small star) · ca nan (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · tr ufak (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · ru ка́рлица (small person) · nds Dwarg (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · fro nain (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · fi kääpiö (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · ko 왜성 (astronomy: relatively small star) · hy թզուկ (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · cs pidimužík (small person) · yi קאַרליק (small person) · km មនុស្សតឿ (small person) · gl recoteno (small person) · nl dwerg (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · yo aràrá (small person) · az cırtdan (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · br korr (small person) · ja チビ (small person) · an nana (astronomy: relatively small star) · fa-ira کوتولِه (small person) · eo nano (astronomy: relatively small star) · ky кыдыгый (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · sv dvärg (small person) · io nanacho (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · lv punduris (small person) · ga abhac (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · ja 矮人 (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · ja 小人 (small person) · cy pegor (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · lv rūķis (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · ast nanu (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · mn одой хүн (small person) · kk ергежейлі (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · ko 왜인 (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · sl škratica (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · it nano (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · eo nano (small person) · br korrigan (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · tl himandak (small person) · pl karzeł (astronomy: relatively small star) · nl dwergster (astronomy: relatively small star) · bg гном (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · lv punduris (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · cmn 矮人 (small person) · ko 난쟁이 (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · ca nano (small person) · ja 矮人 (small person) · nl dwerg (astronomy: relatively small star) · ru лилипу́т (small person) · es enano (small person) · af dwergster (astronomy: relatively small star) · es enano (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · eo nano (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · sl pritlikavka (astronomy: relatively small star) · sl pritlikavec (small person) · eo nano (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · el νάνος (small person) · ky кидик (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · uk ка́рлик (small person) · ru ка́рлик (small person) · sv dvärg (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · grc νᾶνος (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · nb dverg (small person) · fa کوتوله (astronomy: relatively small star) · pl krasnolud (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · sk trpaslík (small person) · fr naine (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · cmn 侏儒 (small person) · rup ficiu (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · ca nan (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · ru гном (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · lv punduris (astronomy: relatively small star) · la nana (small person) · af dwerg (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · frr Önereersk (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · la pūmiliō (small person) · gl anano (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · ca nano (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · oc nan (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · sw kijeba (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · enm dwergh (small person) · fi kääpiö (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · tr cüce (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · ru дворф (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · nci tzapa (small person) · gd troich (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · eo nanino (small person) · fo dvørgur (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · ka ჯუჯა (small person) · grc νᾶνος (small person) · nn dverg (small person) · nci tzapatōn (small person) · mga abacc (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · oc naneta (astronomy: relatively small star) · ro pitic (small person) · mk џуџе (small person) · sl škrat (small person) · pt anão (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · ar قَزَم (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · ar قَزَم (astronomy: relatively small star) · ru ка́рлик (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · pt anão (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · la nanus (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · fr nain (small person) · bg мъни́че (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · ar حِنْتَار (small person) · ja ドワーフ (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · lo ຄົນແຈ້ (small person) · ast nana (astronomy: relatively small star) · ro prichindel (small person) · ar قَزَم (small person) · enm dwergh (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · tr cüce (small person) · ka ცეროდენა (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · et kääbus (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · pt anão (small person) · nb dverg (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · lo ວາມົນ (small person) · pt anã (astronomy: relatively small star) · te మరుగుజ్జు (small person) · egy n-mw (small person) · de Zwerg (astronomy: relatively small star) · sco droich (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · nl dwerg (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · uk гном (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · gl zambullo (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · he גַמָּד (small person) · ka ცეროდენა (small person) · egy d:n-g:F21- -A1 (small person) · yue 矮人 (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · pl karzeł (something much smaller than the usual of its sort) · mk џуџе (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · yi קאַרליק (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · gl tozo (small person) · tg пастак (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling nature spirit) · mk кепец (small person) · sl palček (small person)
Etymology tree
Proto-Germanic *dwergaz
Proto-West Germanic *dwerg
Old English dweorg
Middle English dwergh
English dwarf
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.
Meanings
(transitive) To render (much) smaller, turn into a dwarf (version).
(transitive) To make appear (much) smaller, puny, tiny; to be much larger than.
In the past two years, NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope has located nearly 3,000 exoplanet candidates ranging from sub-Earth-sized minions to gas giants that dwarf our own Jupiter. 2013 May-June, Kevin Heng, “Why Does Nature Form Exoplanets Easily?”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, page 184:
The newly-built skyscraper dwarfs all older buildings in the downtown skyline.
The train bursts from Rusher Cutting Tunnel with explosive violence, the engine's exhaust soaring high into the air, but dwarfed by the mighty limestone cliffs on either side. 1960 April, J. P. Wilson, E. N. C. Haywood, “The route through the Peak - Derby to Manchester: Part Two”, in Trains Illustrated, page 225:
(transitive) To make appear insignificant.
Bach dwarfs all other composers.
(intransitive) To become (much) smaller.
To hinder from growing to the natural size; to make or keep small; to stunt.
At present the whole sex is in a manner dwarfed and shrunk - into a race of beauties that seems almost another species 1710 July 2 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison], “WEDNESDAY, June 22, 1710”, in The Spectator, number 98; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume II, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC:
Even the most common moral ideas and affections […] would be stunted and dwarfed, if cut off from a spiritual background. 1881, John Campbell Shairp, Aspects of Poetry:
eo plietigi (to render smaller, turn into a dwarf) · fr nanifier (to render smaller, turn into a dwarf) · sv krympa (to make appear much smaller) · sv förminska (to make appear much smaller) · fi jättää varjoonsa (to make appear insignificant) · sv krympa (to become (much) smaller) · fr naniser (to render smaller, turn into a dwarf) · fi typistää (to make or keep small) · eo malgrandigi (to render smaller, turn into a dwarf) · nl overschaduwen (to make appear insignificant) · nl in het niet doen verzinken (to make appear much smaller) · es enanizar (to render smaller, turn into a dwarf) · fr écraser (to make appear much smaller) · eo malgrandigi (to make appear much smaller) · fi kutistua (to become (much) smaller) · sv reducera (to render smaller, turn into a dwarf) · fi jättää varjoonsa (to make appear much smaller) · es enanizarse (to become (much) smaller) · nl verschrompelen (to become (much) smaller) · ru затмевать (to make appear insignificant) · da rage op over (to make appear much smaller) · mk фр́ла во сенка (to make appear much smaller) · eo plietigi (to make appear much smaller) · sv krympa (to render smaller, turn into a dwarf) · da krympe (to become (much) smaller) · fr se nanifier (to become (much) smaller) · es mucho (to make appear much smaller) · fr écraser (to make appear insignificant) · de schrumpfen (to become (much) smaller) · sv förminska (to render smaller, turn into a dwarf) · fr éclipser (to make appear insignificant) · es hacer parecer pequeño (muy) (to make appear much smaller) · eo plietiĝi (to become (much) smaller) · eo malgrandiĝi (to become (much) smaller) · ru уменьшаться (to become (much) smaller) · he גִּמֵּד (to make appear insignificant) · nl verdwergen (to render smaller, turn into a dwarf) · da skrumpe (to become (much) smaller) · pt sobrepujar (to make appear much smaller) · sv reducera (to make appear much smaller) · fr rapetisser (to become (much) smaller) · ro minimiza (to make appear much smaller) · fr rapetisser (to render smaller, turn into a dwarf) · ru уменьшать (to render smaller, turn into a dwarf) · fi kutistaa (to render smaller, turn into a dwarf) · de in den Schatten stellen (to make appear insignificant)