dwarf Definition
dwarf (dwôrf)
noun pl. dwarfs or dwarvesdwôrvz
- any human being, animal, or plant that is much smaller than the usual one of its species
- Folklore a little being in human form, usually ugly or malformed, to whom magic powers are attributed
- a star of relatively small size or mass and low luminosity
Etymology: ME dwerf, dwergh < OE dweorg, akin to Ger zwerg < IE *dhwergh-, prob. < base *dhwer-, to trick, injure > Sans dhvarati, (he) injures
transitive verb
- to keep from growing to full natural size
- to make small or insignificant
- to make seem small by comparison
intransitive verb
to become stunted or dwarfed
adjective
undersized; stunted
dwarf Related Forms
dwarf′·ish adjective
dwarf′·ish·ness noun
dwarf′·ism′ noun
dwarf Synonyms
dwarf Synonyms
dwarf Synonyms
dwarf
v.
dwarf Usage Examples
Object
- rootstock: The dwarfing rootstocks they are grown on restrict the vigor of the plants.
- galaxy: All these characteristics make dwarf irregular galaxies the ideal local analogs to young galaxies from the early universe.
- bean: Why not try vegetables in pots - peas and dwarf runner beans will provide interest with their pretty flowers.
- star: Observations of white dwarfs The first white dwarf star to be found was the companion to the bright star Sirius.
- everything: Meyer's essay dwarfs nearly everything that has been previously written on the painter.
Converse of object
orbit: Perhaps the less hostile environment of a habitable moon orbiting a brown dwarf would help to extend the human life cycle.
Adjective modifier
- brown: Perhaps the brown dwarf has an orbit similar to a comet, for instance.
- white: In a binary system, the white dwarf will pull material off the surface of the normal star.
- red: The M-class of star, known as ' red dwarfs ' , are proper stars, although considerably smaller in size than our Sun.
- yellow: Expression of barley yellow dwarf or wheat streak mosaic virus coat proteins in transgenic wheat.
- black: At the end of this process the remnant star will cease to emit radiation and will become a ' black dwarf ' .
Modifies a noun
- nova: Both these extremes of behavior occur in the dwarf novae with the shortest orbital periods.
- birch: The landscape here is typical habitat for dwarf birch.
- lop: We have lost our black dwarf lop eared male rabbit named Bright Eyes.
- hamster: In addition, classes for dwarf hamsters are held.
- conifer: There is a huge range of dwarf conifers that would be suitable.
- cichlid: Please also check out my website listed below, plenty of other South American dwarf cichlids av... .. .
Noun used with modifier
- sub-brown: Sitchin seems to reject my notion of a sub-brown dwarf and warmed moons, which is a pity.
- rice: The rice dwarf phytoreovirus structural protein P7 possesses non-specific nucleic acids binding activity in vitro.
Used with why or when
who: You will find a large family of little black dwarfs who lived under the river, and you will find a splendid hero.

