bantam

noun

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ban·tam | \ ˈban-təm

Definition of bantam

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : any of numerous small domestic fowls that are often miniatures of members of the standard breeds

2 : a person of diminutive stature and often combative disposition

bantam

adjective

Definition of bantam (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : small, diminutive

2 : pertly combative

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More About bantam

Examples of bantam in a Sentence

Adjective a bantam comedian who is known to fellow performers for his oversize ego

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun They were inextricably linked through sports, even if their two-year age gap meant Smith, now 26, was just a pewee when McLain was a bantam. — Dave Kallmann, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2022 Wearing the flashy, sporty clothes of a barroom bantam (Alice Tavener did the costumes), Mr. Battiste finds the cancerous, painful insecurity within Walter’s strutting exhibitionism. — Ben Brantley, New York Times, 1 July 2019 Perlini was teammates with Wings forward Dylan Larkin on the Belle Tire bantam team that won a national championship in 2011. — Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press, 28 Oct. 2019 These bantam stars were considered unlikely to host many close-in planets — worlds that orbit near enough to their suns to receive sufficient energy to sustain life. — NBC News, 9 Oct. 2019 And for decades, one bantam-sized tailor has outfitted more than his share of hulking hockey stars. Giovanni Vacca, 86, stands about 5-foot-5 and sports a black suit, V-neck sweater and dress shirt. — Salim Valji, New York Times, 10 June 2019 Times are 9 to 10:30 a.m. for mites (8 and under) and squirts (10 and under) and 10:30 a.m. to noon for peewees (12 and under) and bantams (17 and under). — San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Aug. 2019 Years before, Meade had played for Monte with the Chicago Blues at the bantam level. — Jon J. Kerr, chicagotribune.com, 26 June 2019 Eventually, ispace aims to set up a robotic lunar transportation service and use its bantam rovers to identify and help exploit the resources available on Earth's nearest neighbor, such as water ice. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 26 Sep. 2018 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Tipping the scales at a bantam weight of only 1.14 pounds, and less than a foot long, even the gram-conscious minimalists have to take notice. — Tim Macwelch, Outdoor Life, 9 Sep. 2019 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bantam.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.