dwarf

noun, often attributive

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\ ˈdwȯrf

plural dwarfs\ ˈdwȯrfs

\ also dwarves\ ˈdwȯrvz

Definition of dwarf

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 sometimes offensive : a person of unusually small stature (see stature sense 1) especially : a person whose height does not exceed 4' 10" and is typically less than 4' 5"

2 : an animal or plant much below normal size

3 folklore : a small legendary manlike being who is usually misshapen and ugly and skilled as a craftsman

4 astronomy : a celestial object of comparatively small mass or size: such as

a : a star of ordinary or low luminosity The outer layers of a swollen elderly red giant star were pouring onto the photosphere of a vigorous … yellow dwarf, something like the Sun.— Carl Sagan — compare giant sense 4, supergiant

b : a galaxy containing a relatively low number of stars Harlow Shapley discovered the first examples of dwarf satellite galaxies in 1938, one in the constellation Sculptor and one in Fornax. — Astronomy

5 : an insignificant person a literary dwarf

dwarf

verb

dwarfed; dwarfing; dwarfs

Definition of dwarf (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to cause to appear smaller or to seem inferior dwarfed by his older brother has dwarfed the achievements of her predecessors

2 : to restrict the growth of : stunt children dwarfed by malnutrition

intransitive verb

: to become smaller

dwarf

adjective

Definition of dwarf (Entry 3 of 3)

of a plant

: low-growing in habit a dwarf peach tree dwarfer forms of citrus

Other Words from dwarf Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About dwarf

Other Words from dwarf

Noun

dwarfish \ ˈdwȯr-fish

\ adjective

dwarfishly adverb

dwarfishness noun

dwarflike \ ˈdwȯrf-ˌlīk

\ adjective

dwarfness \ ˈdwȯrf-nəs

\ noun

Examples of dwarf in a Sentence

Noun Shetland ponies are the dwarfs of the horse world. Snow White and the seven dwarfs. Verb shrubs dwarfed by the lack of water

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Five month-old male Nigerian dwarf goats and two African pygmy hedgehogs are the latest additions to Randall Oaks Zoo in West Dundee as the public facility opens for the 2022 season. — Mike Danahey, chicagotribune.com, 1 Apr. 2022 The observatory is slated to look at the TRAPPIST-1 system, which includes seven Earth-size exoplanets orbiting a cool dwarf star about 40 light-years away. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, 20 Nov. 2021 Studying dwarf galaxies, or those that have remained small over time, could help astronomers discover how supermassive black holes came to exist early on in the history of the universe. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, 21 Jan. 2022 The study of such small dwarf galaxies could help theorists better understand how supermassive black holes first evolved in the early universe. — Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2022 Plant dwarf annual flowers such as coleus, impatiens and seedling geraniums inside as houseplants. — oregonlive, 3 Jan. 2022 And all the dwarf planets are too small to hold the inner heat that remains from the solar system’s formation. — Vahe Peroomian, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2022 By studying the size and shape of the cloud, the astronomers say the objects involved in the space collision may have been the size of dwarf planets. — Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 25 Mar. 2022 Japan’s inflation has been close to zero for twenty-five years, and yet its government spending and monetary growth dwarf our own. — Richard Vague, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb New filings show the incumbents with a strong financial advantage at the end of the first quarter, with some having campaign war chests that dwarf their competition. — Ryan Tarinelli, Arkansas Online, 19 Apr. 2022 Ditto for investment, flows of which dwarf the movement of tradable goods. — Joseph C. Sternberg, WSJ, 24 Mar. 2022 In many European capitals, Russian embassies have some of the biggest staff in the diplomatic corps, which often dwarf the number of diplomats the host country has in Russia. — Laurence Norman, WSJ, 30 Mar. 2022 Other big buyers of chip buyers -- Amazon.com Inc., Microsoft Corp., Alphabet Inc. and Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc. -- also dwarf Intel in size. — Ian King, Bloomberg.com, 16 Feb. 2022 The pace is artificially amplified by the other vehicles on the road, especially trucks approaching in the opposite direction, which dwarf the red Porsche in size and mass. — Michael Harley, Robb Report, 28 Jan. 2022 Granted, the Longhorns dwarf the Roadrunners in terms of their fan base and their revenue stream. — Mike Finger, San Antonio Express-News, 18 Sep. 2021 Here is a nice long gold chart: The lines are what a bull will see, though many gold fans will see bitcoin-style appreciation that would dwarf my projections. — Clem Chambers, Forbes, 14 Apr. 2022 Better, an expansion of the welfare state that would dwarf ObamaCare. — Bobby Jindal, WSJ, 20 Dec. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Last year my semi-dwarf Braeburn had scant blossoms only along the very top. — oregonlive, 30 Apr. 2022 In this hands-on workshop, participants will graft and take home a semi-dwarf producing apple tree, suitable for the coastal climate. — Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2022 In this hands-on workshop, participants will graft and take home a semi-dwarf producing apple tree, suitable for the coastal climate. — Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2022 In this hands-on workshop, participants will graft and take home a semi-dwarf producing apple tree, suitable for the coastal climate. — Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2022 In this hands-on workshop, participants will graft and take home a semi-dwarf producing apple tree, suitable for the coastal climate. — Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2022 In this hands-on workshop, participants will graft and take home a semi-dwarf producing apple tree, suitable for the coastal climate. — Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2022 In this hands-on workshop, participants will graft and take home a semi-dwarf producing apple tree, suitable for the coastal climate. — Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2022 Whitney' is a dwarf variety with sage green leaves. — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Feb. 2022 See More

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

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Dictionary Entries Near dwarf

dwalm

dwarf

dwarf agave

Statistics for dwarf

Last Updated

4 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Dwarf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dwarf. Accessed 23 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for dwarf

dwarf

noun

\ ˈdwȯrf

plural dwarfs\ ˈdwȯrfs \ also dwarves\ ˈdwȯrvz \

Kids Definition of dwarf

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : a person, animal, or plant much smaller than normal size

2 : a creature in legends that is usually pictured as a small person who is skilled at some craft

dwarf

verb

dwarfed; dwarfing

Kids Definition of dwarf (Entry 2 of 3)

: to cause to appear smaller Our car was dwarfed by the giant redwood trees.

dwarf

adjective

Kids Definition of dwarf (Entry 3 of 3)

: of less than the usual size dwarf pine trees

dwarf

noun, often attributive

\ ˈdwȯ(ə)rf

plural dwarfs\ ˈdwȯ(ə)rfs

\ also dwarves\ ˈdwȯ(ə)rvz

Medical Definition of dwarf

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 sometimes offensive : a person of unusually small stature especially : a person whose height does not exceed 4 feet 10 inches (1.47 meters) and is typically less than 4 feet 5 inches (1.35 meters)

2 : an animal much below normal size

dwarf

transitive verb

Medical Definition of dwarf (Entry 2 of 2)

: to restrict the growth of : stunt