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dwarf (dwôrf)
Share:
n. pl. dwarfs or dwarves (dwôrvz)
1.
a. A person with a usually genetic disorder resulting in atypically short stature and often disproportionate limbs.
b. An atypically small animal or plant.
2. A small creature resembling a human, often having magical powers, appearing in legends and fairy tales.
3. A dwarf star.
v. dwarfed, dwarf·ing, dwarfs
v.tr.
1. To check the natural growth or development of; stunt: "The oaks were dwarfed from lack of moisture" (John Steinbeck).
2. To cause to appear small by comparison: "Together these two big men dwarfed the tiny Broadway office" (Saul Bellow).
v.intr.
To become stunted or grow smaller.
[Middle English dwerf, from Old English dweorh.]
dwarfish adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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