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Added 9 October 2026

dwarf

/dwɔɹf/ noun

In Latin: nanus Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about dwarf at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

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.
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.
An animal, plant or other thing much smaller than the usual of its sort.
dwarf tree

adjective

Miniature.
The specimen is a very dwarf form of the plant.

verb

To render (much) smaller, turn into a dwarf (version).
To make appear (much) smaller, puny, tiny; to be much larger than.
The newly-built skyscraper dwarfs all older buildings in the downtown skyline.
To make appear insignificant.
Bach dwarfs all other composers.

Origin

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”)).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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