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midget

 - 6 dictionary results

midg⋅et

  [mij-it]
Use midget in a Sentence
–noun
1. (not in technical use) an extremely small person having normal physical proportions.
2. any animal or thing that is very small for its kind.
–adjective
3. very small or of a class below the usual size.
4. being a miniature replica or model.
Origin:
1850–55; midge + -et

Related forms:
midg⋅et⋅ism, noun

Synonyms:
1. See dwarf.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To midget
midg·et   (mĭj'ĭt)   
n.  

  1. Offensive An extremely small person who is otherwise normally proportioned.

  2. A small or miniature version of something.

  3. A class of small objects, as a class of very small sailboats or racing cars.

adj.  

  1. Miniature; diminutive.

  2. Belonging to a type or class much smaller than what is considered standard: a midget automobile.


[Diminutive of midge.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

midget 
1865, "little sand fly," from midge + dim. suffix -et. Originally "little sand fly." Sense of "very small person" is from 1869.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: midg·et
Pronunciation: 'mij-&t
Function: noun
: a very small person; specifically : a person of unusually small sizewho is physically well-proportioned
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

midget midg·et (mĭj'ĭt)
n.
A person of extremely small stature who is otherwise normally proportioned. Now considered offensive.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Encyclopedia

midget

in human anatomy, a person of very small stature whose bodily proportions, intelligence, and sexual development are within the normal range. Diminutive stature occurs sporadically in families the rest of whose members are of ordinary size. The children of midgets are usually of ordinary height and proportions. This term is often considered pejorative; the term proportionate dwarf is now preferred. See dwarfism; Pygmy.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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