pygmy

noun pyg·my \ ˈpig-mē \

variants: or less commonly pigmy

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

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

The Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal notice of intent to sue the FWS for not designating critical habitat for the spring pygmy sunfish, which is known to survive in just one spring complex in Limestone County.

— dennis pillion, AL.com, "Alabama auto plant could wipe out endangered fish, group says," 11 Apr. 2018
All sorts of colorful characters swim by—a juvenile jack wedged between the tentacles and bell of a jellyfish for protection, a flying fish harboring a pygmy squid beneath its wing.

— laura mallonee, WIRED, "A Nighttime Underwater Spectacle Off the Coast of the Philippines," 3 Apr. 2018
Kids can search out eggs but also go horseback riding, visit the petting zoo (pygmy goats, pigs and rabbits, among others) and take a hay ride.

— mary forgione, latimes.com, "Get in on Easter egg hunts in the desert (Death Valley), in the snow (Mammoth) and on a farm (Big Bear)," 30 Mar. 2018
The issue surfaced in 2007 when a fire Otter said could have been stopped at about 5,000 acres consumed 700,000 acres of habitat for bull trout, pygmy rabbits and slickspot peppergrass.

— elaine williams, idahostatesman, "These days, Butch Otter would be happy as a ‘sharecropper’ on federal land | Idaho Statesman," 29 Mar. 2018
The wildlife in the vicinity includes pygmy goats, Iranian sheep, and black bears.

— New York Times, "Four Wildlife Tours in the United States Worth Taking," 7 Mar. 2018
The pygmy marmosets are deeply adorable, and the snippy gharials would make excellent Muppets.

— margaret lyons, New York Times, "How Much Watching Time Do You Have This Weekend?," 8 Mar. 2018
In what has become a Feb. 2 tradition at the Kansas City Zoo, eyes turned to an African pygmy hedgehog.

— matt campbell, kansascity, "Who needs groundhogs? KC Zoo has a sharper forecaster: A hedgehog," 2 Feb. 2018
An Eastern pygmy blue butterfly, about as big as a fingernail, rests on its host plant, a saltwort, in an Everglades National Park prairie.

— jenny staletovich, miamiherald, "Don’t be distracted by the beauty. Florida’s national parks are falling apart," 29 Jan. 2018

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

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First Known Use: 14th century

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pygmy Synonyms

PYGMY Defined for English Language Learners

pygmy

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

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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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