pygmy

play

noun pyg·my \ ˈpig-mē \

variants: or less commonly pigmy

Definition of pygmy

plural pygmies also pigmies

1 often capitalized :any of a race of dwarfs described by ancient Greek authors

2 capitalized :any of a small people of equatorial Africa ranging under five feet (1.5 meters) in height

3 a (1) :an unusually small person

(2) :an insignificant or unimpressive person

an intellectual pygmy

b :something very small of its kind

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pygmy

adjective

See pygmy defined for English-language learners

See pygmy defined for kids

Examples of pygmy in a Sentence

hummingbirds may be the pygmies of the avian world, but what they lack in size they make up for in beauty
regrettably, most of the candidates for the party's nomination that year were political pygmies

Recent Examples of pygmy from the Web

Other animal shows and displays feature dogs and miniature horses, Sept. 1-4; Animals of the World, Sept. 7-13; pygmy goats, Sept. 21-24; and rabbits and cavies, Sept. 10-14.

— madeline mckenzie, The Seattle Times, "New features add to fun at Washington State Fair in Puyallup," 30 Aug. 2017
As a result, much of what is known about pygmy sperm whales is learned from studying beached animals, which is not uncommon.

— jeff mcdonald, latimes.com, "Pygmy sperm whale rescued from beach dies," 24 Aug. 2017
The pygmy sperm whale that captured the attention and hearts of the public when it was rescued from La Jolla Shores last month died late Wednesday.

— jeff mcdonald, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Pygymy sperm whale rescued from beach dies," 24 Aug. 2017
Des Lauriers often finds stemmed points, a style of spear point found from Japan to Peru and perhaps used on the island to hunt sea mammals and native pygmy deer.

— lizzie wade, Science | AAAS, "Most archaeologists think the first Americans arrived by boat. Now, they’re beginning to prove it," 10 Aug. 2017
From blow-drying to delivering babies, this preteen shines in the world of pygmy goats Cornhole.

— alexandra yoon-hendricks, sacbee, "California State Fair sees 5 percent attendance drop on 50th anniversary at Cal Expo," 31 July 2017
The characters, which were depicted in early editions as African pygmies, are portrayed as happy slaves, content to leave their native land behind and toil in a factory.

— sarah begley, Time, "The Hidden (and Not-So-Hidden) Racism In Kids' Lit," 27 July 2017
Burke’s Instagram is a trove of her own maximalist pileups: wraparound pygmy rings, anthropomorphic suns with their tongues wagging, a dainty torso of a hermaphrodite.

— laura regensdorf, Vogue, "Meet the Rome-Based Jewelry Designer Who Matches Her Rings to Her Manicure," 19 July 2017
California Classic pygmy goat show: Noon Brian McKnight performs: 8 p.m. Thursday’s highlights Military & Veteran Appreciation Day: All day Horse racing at the Miller Lite Grandstand: 1:45 p.m.

— don sweeney, sacbee, "What’s happening at the California State Fair this week?," 17 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of pygmy

Middle English pigmei, from Latin pygmaeus of a pygmy, dwarfish, from Greek pygmaios, from pygmē fist, measure of length — more at pungent

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

pygmy Synonyms

Synonyms

diminutive, midget, mite, peewee, dwarf (also pigmy), runt, scrub, shrimp, Tom Thumb

Antonyms

behemoth, colossus, giant, jumbo, leviathan, mammoth, monster, titan

Related Words

nubbin; mini, miniature; bantam; homunculus, hop-o'-my-thumb, manikin (also mannikin); half-pint

Near Antonyms

whale, whopper

PYGMY Defined for English Language Learners

pygmy

play

noun

Definition of pygmy for English Language Learners

Pygmy : a member of a group of very small people who live in Africa
: a person who is regarded as very weak, stupid, etc.

PYGMY Defined for Kids

pygmy

adjective pyg·my \ ˈpig-mē \

Definition of pygmy for Students

:smaller than the usual size

a pygmy goat

Medical Dictionary

pygmy

noun pyg·my

variants: also pigmy play \ˈpig-mē\

medical Definition of pygmy

plural pygmies also pigmies

1 capitalized :any of a small people of equatorial Africa ranging under five feet (1.5 meters) in height

2 :a relatively short or small individual :dwarf

—

pygmy

adjective

Learn More about pygmy

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for pygmy Spanish Central: Translation of pygmy Nglish: Translation of pygmy for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of pygmy for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pygmy

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PYGMY Defined for English Language Learners

pygmy

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