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pygmy

pygmy

9 7.5
A person or thing much smaller than others of the same kind
  • noun
  • /ˈpɪɡmi/
  • Slur
translation icon : pigmeo (ofensivo)
  • Some new data, however, suggest that pygmy mammoths still existed when people came ashore.
  • pygmy chimpanzees

You have four years to confront and absorb the greatness of people who went before you, who make you look like pygmies.

Examples

  • We discovered that the new addition was a South American breed, a kind of pygmy barracuda.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • -And I'll also show you the herd of pygmy elephants we just found.

  • Their only mortal enemy is the pygmy elephant.

  • Now, though, there is precious little pygmy goat breeding going on at the place.

    Blog text (32)
  • We also have pygmy goat enthusiast Phil Plate.

  • Its collection comprises approximately 450 animals ranging from pygmy marmosets to white rhinoceroses.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Small raptors, such as pygmy owls, those in shock or septic, and orphaned nestlings needed treatment every 4 to 8 hours.

    Academic text (1996)
  • The pygmy marmoset is one of the smallest monkeys in the world.

  • In the rainforest, the pygmy goat is often found among taller animals.

  • The museum had a display featuring a pygmy version of the statue, emphasizing its unique small size.

Synonyms

small person
vspygmy
5 1.8

A person who is shorter than most people and has a light build

applies to both people and things and stresses being much smaller by comparison
pigmy
vspygmy
  • Offensive
7.8

A person, animal, or thing that is much smaller than others of the same kind

is the same meaning but uses the spelling with y after p

Compounds

A very small monkey from the Amazon rainforest that can fit in your hand

A small ape from central African forests similar to a chimpanzee that lives in groups

9.9

A rare small cypress tree that grows only a few feet tall in northern California

9.1

A very small mouse with dark grey-brown fur that lives in Texas and Mexico

A small sperm whale that lives in warm ocean waters

How Small

pygmy
  • Slur
9 7.5
minuscule
37 4.4
tiny
1.0
small
2 1.1

Surface Forms

pygmy singular
pygmies plural

Etymology

The word pygmy comes from the Greek word pygme, which means 'fist' or the small length from elbow to fist. It was used for people who were only about that 'fist-length' tall, so today pygmy means something much smaller than usual.