miniature

¹min·i·a·ture

noun \ˈmi-nē-ə-ˌchu̇r, ˈmi-ni-ˌchu̇r, ˈmin-yə-, -chər, -ˌtyu̇r, -ˌtu̇r\

Definition of MINIATURE

1

a : a copy on a much reduced scale

b : something small of its kind

2

: a painting in an illuminated book or manuscript

3

: the art of painting miniatures

4

: a very small portrait or other painting (as on ivory or metal)

— min·i·a·tur·ist \-ˌchu̇r-ist, -chər-, -ˌtyu̇r-, -ˌtu̇r-\ noun

— min·i·a·tur·is·tic \ˌmi-nē-ə-chə-ˈris-tik, ˌmi-ni-, ˌmin-yə-, -ˌtyu̇-, -ˌtu̇-\ adjective

— in miniature

: in a greatly diminished size, form, or scale

Examples of MINIATURE

1. <a diorama filled with miniatures of town buildings as they looked in the 19th century>

Origin of MINIATURE

Italian miniatura art of illuminating a manuscript, from Medieval Latin, from Latin miniatus, past participle of miniare to color with minium, from minium red lead

First Known Use: circa 1586

Related to MINIATURE

Synonyms

model

Related Words

carbon, carbon copy, clone, copy, dummy, dupe, duplicate, duplication, facsimile, imitation, mock, reduplication, replica, replication, reproduction; dwarf, midget, mini, pocket edition, pygmy (also pigmy)

Near Antonyms

archetype, original, prototype; blowup, enlargement

Rhymes with MINIATURE

candidature, caricature, discomfiture, distemperature, divestiture, entablature, entrepreneur, expenditure, imprimatur, investiture, literature, musculature, nomenclature, non sequitur

²miniature

adjective

Definition of MINIATURE

: being or represented on a small scale

Examples of MINIATURE

1. a collection of miniature books
2. The little boy looks like a miniature version of his father.

First Known Use of MINIATURE

1714

Related to MINIATURE

Synonyms

atomic, bitsy, bitty, infinitesimal, itty-bitty (or itsy-bitsy), little bitty, microminiature, microscopic (also microscopical), tiny, minuscule, minute, teensy, teensy-weensy, teeny, teeny-weeny, wee, weeny (also weensy)

Antonyms

astronomical (also astronomic), colossal, cosmic (also cosmical), elephantine, enormous, giant, gigantic, herculean, heroic (also heroical), huge, immense, mammoth, massive, monster, monstrous, monumental, mountainous, planetary, prodigious, titanic, tremendous

Related Words

baby, diminutive, dwarf, elfin, half-pint, Lilliputian, little, micro, mini, minikin, model, petite, pocket, pocket-size (also pocket-sized), pygmy, small, smallish; dinky, dwarfish, insignificant, pint-size (or pint-sized), puny, scrubby, undersized (also undersize)

Near Antonyms

big, bulky, bumper, considerable, extensive, good, goodly, grand, great, gross, handsome, hefty, hulking, jumbo, king-size (or king-sized), large, largish, major, outsize (also outsized), overgrown, overscale (or overscaled), oversize (or oversized), sizable (or sizeable), substantial, super, whacking, whopping; formidable, grandiose, imposing, lofty, majestic, monolithic, staggering, stupendous, towering; boundless, cavernous, immeasurable, infinite, vast, vasty, voluminous

See Synonym Discussion at small