Definition of dwarf
dwarfs
play \ˈdwȯrfs\ alsodwarves
play \ˈdwȯrvz\1a : a person of unusually small stature (see stature 1); especially : a person whose height does not exceed 4' 10" and is typically less than 4' 5"b : an insignificant person a literary dwarf
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 star (such as the sun) of ordinary or low luminosity and relatively small mass and size
dwarfishly
adverbdwarfishness
nounPeople Are Reading
Examples of dwarf in a Sentence
Shetland ponies are the dwarfs of the horse world.
Snow White and the seven dwarfs.
Recent Examples of dwarf from the Web
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Below 80 Jupiter masses, star-like objects are called brown dwarfs and only fuse hydrogen into the isotope deuterium.
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Each hypervelocity star was part of a binary system in this dwarf galaxy until its twin exploded.
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And the West African Forest will have dwarf crocodiles, the smallest of their kind.
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Seven of the 10 newfound Earth-size planets circle stars that are just like ours, not cool dwarf ones that require a planet be quite close to its star for the right temperature.
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Seven of the 10 newfound Earth-size planets circle stars that are just like ours, not cool dwarf ones that require a planet be quite close to its star for the right temperature.
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Seven of the 10 newfound Earth-size planets circle stars that are just like ours, not cool dwarf ones that require a planet be quite close to its star for the right temperature.
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Seven of the 10 newfound Earth-size planets circle stars that are just like ours, not cool dwarf ones that require a planet be quite close to its star for the right temperature.
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Seven of the 10 newfound Earth-size planets circle stars that are just like ours, not cool dwarf ones that require a planet be quite close to its star for the right temperature.
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.
Origin and Etymology of dwarf
Middle English dwerg, dwerf, from Old English dweorg, dweorh; akin to Old High German twerg dwarf
dwarf
Definition of dwarf
transitive verb
1 : to restrict the growth of : stunt children dwarfed by malnutrition
2 : to cause to appear smaller or to seem inferior dwarfed by his older brother has dwarfed the achievements of her predecessors
intransitive verb
: to become smaller
Examples of dwarf in a Sentence
shrubs dwarfed by the lack of water
Recent Examples of dwarf from the Web
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Both are dwarfed by Stone, the county’s largest independent brewery, which in 2016 sold 345,000 barrels of beer.
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One of the major themes of the show is that of the lone scholar poet wrapped in private thoughts amid natural scenery that dwarfs human activity in significance.
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The potential gains from open borders dwarf those of, say, completely free trade, let alone foreign aid.
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During that race, his fundraising total dwarfed those of his challenger.
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Shouldn’t revenues, where the NFL dwarfs the NBA, matter?
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With Amazon gaining access to Whole Foods' roughly 400-store footprint, the e-commerce juggernaut would command a distribution network dwarfing that of any meal-kit service.
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The total dwarfs the biggest overflow situation in recent memory, a January 2017 deluge in which the area received up to 12 inches of rain in 36 hours.
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City officials expect up to two million fans to show up, dwarfing the million who took to the streets last time.
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.
Origin and Etymology of dwarf
see 1dwarf
dwarf
Definition of dwarf
of a plant
: low-growing in habit a dwarf peach tree dwarfer forms of citrus
Recent Examples of dwarf from the Web
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Dwarf irises Why grow them: My bright-purple reticulatas reliably bloom in the first weeks of March, sticking their speckled tongues out at raging wind.
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.
Origin and Etymology of dwarf
see 1dwarf
Other Botany Terms
Financial Definition of DWARF
dwarf
What It Is
In the mortgage business, a dwarf is a group of mortgage-backed securities that mature in fewer than 15 years. The Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA or Fannie Mae) issues dwarves.
How It Works
Mortgage-backed securities (MBS) are securities that represent an interest in a pool of mortgage loans. Let's assume you want to buy a house, so you get a mortgage from XYZ Bank. XYZ Bank transfers money into your account, and you agree to repay the money according to a set schedule. XYZ Bank (which could also be a thrift, credit union, or other originator) may then choose to hold the mortgage in its portfolio (i.e., simply collect the interest and principal payments over the next several years) or sell it.
If XYZ Bank sells the mortgage, it gets cash to make other loans. So let's assume that XYZ Bank sells your mortgage to Fannie Mae. Fannie Mae groups your mortgage with similar mortgages it has already purchased (referred to as "pooling" the mortgages). The mortgages in the pool have common characteristics (i.e., similar interest rates, maturities). Pools that mature in fewer than 15 years make up dwarves.
Fannie Mae then sells securities that represent an interest in the dwarves, of which your mortgage is a small part (called securitizing the pool). It sells these MBS to investors in the open market. With the funds from the sale of the MBS, Fannie Mae can purchase more mortgages and create more MBS.
Why It Matters
For investors, an MBS is much like a bond, and dwarves are relatively short-term bonds in this sense However, it is important to note that payments that are part interest and part principal could be unfavorable to some dwarf investors, because with each decrease in outstanding principal there is a corresponding decrease in the amount of interest that accrues. The return of principal could also vary depending on how quickly the underlying mortgages are repaid.
Fannie Mae guarantees the timely payment of interest and principal on the MBS they issue -- that is, if the borrowers do not make their mortgage payments on time, Fannie Mae will still make timely interest and principal payments to their MBS investors. It is important to note that the U.S. government does not guarantee Fannie Mae. That is, if it cannot fulfill their obligations to its MBS investors, the government has no responsibility to rescue it.
DWARF Defined for English Language Learners
dwarf
Definition of dwarf for English Language Learners
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: to make (something) look very small or unimportant when compared with something else
dwarf
Definition of dwarf for English Language Learners
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of a plant or animal : smaller than normal size
DWARF Defined for Kids
Definition of dwarf for Students
dwarfs
\ˈdwȯrfs\ alsodwarves
\ˈdwȯrvz\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
Definition of dwarf for Students
dwarfed
;dwarfing
: to cause to appear smaller Our car was dwarfed by the giant redwood trees.
Definition of dwarf for Students
: of less than the usual size dwarf pine trees
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of dwarf
dwarfs
\ˈdwȯ(ə)rfs\play alsodwarves
\ˈdwȯ(ə)rvz\play1: 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
Learn More about dwarf
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See words that rhyme with dwarf Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dwarf Spanish Central: Translation of dwarf Nglish: Translation of dwarf for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of dwarf for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dwarf
Seen and Heard
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