English Explanatory Dictionary

pygmy

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A member of one of various Ancient Equatorial African tribal peoples, notable for their very short stature.
  2. A member of a race of dwarfs.
  3. Any dwarfish person or thing.
  4. An insignificant person, at least in some respect.
adj
  1. Relating or belonging to the Pygmy people.
  2. Like a pygmy; unusually short or small for its kind.

Pronunciation

/ˈpɪɡmi/ en-us-pygmy.ogg

Word forms

pygmy pygmies pigmy more pygmy most pygmy

Etymology

From Latin Pygmaeī, from Ancient Greek πυγμαῖος (pugmaîos, “a member of a race of dwarves”), from πυγμή (pugmḗ, “fist (as small as a fist)”).

Synonyms

dwarf midget pygmyish dwarfish

Antonyms

giant ettin

Related words

pygmoid Negrito

Derived words

African pygmy goat American pygmy goat cotton pygmy goose Eurasian pygmy owl micropygmy pygmy backswimmer pygmy blue whale pygmy chimpanzee pygmy cormorant pygmydom pygmy falcon pygmy giant panda pygmy hippo pygmy hippopotamus pygmy hog pygmyhood pygmyish pygmyism pygmy killer whale pygmy marmoset pygmy owl pygmy percher pygmy placed on the shoulders of giants pygmy possum pygmy rabbit pygmy right whale pygmy sperm whale pygmy squid pygmy tyrant pygmy woodpecker snake and pygmy pie western pygmy blue
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