dwarf

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To be so much bigger than something else that it makes it look small.

   The new skyscraper dwarfs every other building in the city.

2. 2
   noun

   In stories and legends, a small human-like creature, often skilled at making things and mining.

   In the tale, seven dwarfs lived together in a tiny cottage.

3. 3
   noun

   A plant, animal, or thing that is much smaller than usual for its kind.

   He grows a dwarf apple tree on his balcony.

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 D…

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