dwarfish

US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(dwôr′fish)

dwarf•ish (dwôr′fish),USA pronunciation adj.

dwarf′ish•ly, adv.
dwarf′ish•ness, n.

pygmy, tiny, stunted, runty.

dwarf /dwɔrf/USA pronunciation n., pl. dwarfs, dwarves /dwɔrvz/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]

Pathologya person of abnormally small size.
Botany, Zoologyan animal or plant much smaller than the average.
Mythologya small, imaginary being, often represented as a tiny old man, who is skilled as a worker and has magical powers.

adj. [before a noun]

v. [~ + object]

to cause to seem small in size, etc., as by being much larger:This current budget crisis dwarfs all our previous troubles.

dwarf•ish, adj.
dwarf•ism, n. [uncountable]

dwarf (dwôrf ),USA pronunciation n., pl. dwarfs, dwarves, adj., v.
n.

Pathologya person of abnormally small stature owing to a pathological condition, esp. one suffering from cretinism or some other disease that produces disproportion or deformation of features and limbs.
Botany, Zoologyan animal or plant much smaller than the average of its kind or species.
Mythology(in folklore) a being in the form of a small, often misshapen and ugly, man, usually having magic powers.
AstronomySee dwarf star.

adj.

v.t.

to cause to appear or seem small in size, extent, character, etc., as by being much larger or better:He dwarfed all his rivals in athletic ability.
to make dwarf or dwarfish;
prevent the due development of.

v.i.

bef. 900; Middle English dwerf, Old English dweorh; replacing Middle English dwerg, Old English dweorg; cognate with Old High German twerg, Old Norse dvergr