pygmy

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Pyg·my

also Pig·my (pĭg′mē)
n. pl. Pyg·mies also Pig·mies
1. Greek Mythology A member of a race of dwarfs.
2. also pygmy A member of any of various peoples, especially of equatorial Africa and parts of Southeast Asia, having an average height less than 5 feet (1.5 meters).
3. pygmy
a. An individual of unusually small size.
b. An individual considered to be of little or no importance: political pygmies.
adj.
1. also pygmy Of or relating to the Pygmies.
2. pygmy
a. Unusually or atypically small.
b. Unimportant; trivial.
[Middle English pigmie, from Latin Pygmaeī, the Pygmies, from Greek Pugmaioi, from pugmē, cubit, fist; see peuk- in Indo-European roots.]
Usage Note: From an anthropological point of view, a pygmy is a member of any of various African, Asian, or South American peoples whose average height is less than five feet. As an ethnic term, however, Pygmy is used more exclusively of the peoples inhabiting the forests of equatorial Africa in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo and surrounding countries. Many people consider it offensive to refer to others by a name that identifies them in terms of a physical trait and would prefer to use an alternative, if one existed. But the indigenous names of these peoples—such as Aka, Twa, and Efe—are unfamiliar to most Americans, and none of them can be used as a comprehensive term for all such groups, even in central Africa. Thus Pygmy is still in general use, although sometimes qualified by "so-called" to indicate dissatisfaction with a term that strikes many as inherently derogatory.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

pygmy

(ˈpɪɡmɪ) or

pigmy

n, pl -mies
1. (Medicine) an abnormally undersized person
2. something that is a very small example of its type
3. a person of little importance or significance
4. (modifier) of very small stature or size
[C14 pigmeis the Pygmies, from Latin Pygmaeus a Pygmy, from Greek pugmaios undersized, from pugmē fist]
pygmaean, pygmean adj

Pygmy

(ˈpɪɡmɪ) or

Pigmy

n, pl -mies
(Peoples) a member of one of the dwarf peoples of Equatorial Africa, noted for their hunting and forest culture
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

Pyg•my

or Pigmy

(ˈpɪg mi)

n., pl. -mies,
adj. n.
1.
a. a member of any of several small-statured peoples of Africa, esp. the forested regions of central Africa.
b. a Negrito of SE Asia, or of the Andaman or Philippine islands.
2. (l.c.) a small or dwarfish person.
3. (l.c.) anything very small of its kind.
4. (l.c.) a person of small importance or lacking in some important quality, attribute, etc.
adj.
5. (sometimes l.c.) of or pertaining to the Pygmies.
6. (l.c.) of very small size, capacity, power, etc.
[1350–1400; Middle English pigmēis, pl. of pigmē < Latin Pygmaeus < Greek pygmaîos dwarfish, a member of a legendary race of dwarflike people =pygm(ḗ) distance from elbow to knuckles + -aios adj. suffix]
pyg′moid, adj.
pyg′my•ism, n.
syn: See dwarf.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun 1. [画像:pygmy - an unusually small individual]pygmy - an unusually small individual
small person - a person of below average size
2. Pygmy - any member of various peoples having an average height of less than five feet
small person - a person of below average size
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

pygmy

also pigmy
adjective
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
Pygmej
pygmæ
kääpiöpygmi
pigmeus
pygmÿi
pigmėjas
pigmejs
Pygmej
Pigme

pygmy

[ˈpɪgmɪ]
A. N → pigmeo/a m/f (fig) → enano/a m/f
B. CPD → pigmeo (fig) → miniatura, minúsculo
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

pygmy

[ˈpɪgmi]
n → pygmée m/f
modif [goat, hippopotamus] → nain(e)
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

pygmy

, pigmy
n
Pygmy → Pygmäe m
(= small person, also fig) → Zwerg m
adj
Pygmy → Pygmäen-; Pygmy tribe → Pygmäenvolk nt
→ Zwerg- ; pygmy goat → Zwergziege f
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

pygmy

[ˈpɪgmɪ] n → pigmeo/a
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

pygmy,

pigmy

(ˈpigmi) – plural ˈpygmies ~ˈpigmies – noun
a member of an African race of very small people. pigmee قَزَم пигмей pigmeu Pygmej der Pygmäe, die Pygmäin pygmæ πυγμαίος pigmeo pügmee عضو هریک از نژاد های کوتاه قد آفریقا pygmi pygmée מִשֶבֶט הַפִּיגמִים पिग्मी pigmeus; törpe pigmi pygmÿi (dvergsvertingi) pigmeo ピグミー族 피그미 인종 pigmėjas pigmejs org kerdil pygmee pygmé pigmej د افريقا وګړى pigmeu pigmeu пигмей Pygmej pigmejec pigmej pygmé คนแคระในทวีปแอฟริกาตอนใต้ Pigme 非洲的一個矮小種族,俾格米人 пігмей افريقہ کي ايک ٹھگني نسل کا فرد، بونا người lùn 非洲的一个矮小种族,俾格米人
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
References in classic literature ?
A great while ago, when the world was full of wonders, there lived an earth-born Giant, named Antaeus, and a million or more of curious little earth-born people, who were called Pygmies. This Giant and these Pygmies being children of the same mother(that is to say, our good old Grandmother Earth), were all brethren, and dwelt together in a very friendly and affectionate manner, far, far off, in the middle of hot Africa.
Among the Pygmies, I suppose, if one of them grew to the height of six or eight inches, he was reckoned a prodigiously tall man.
Here the Pygmies used to plant wheat and other kinds of grain, which, when it grew up and ripened, overshadowed these tiny people as the pines, and the oaks, and the walnut and chestnut trees overshadow you and me, when we walk in our own tracts of woodland.
Now these funny Pygmies, as I told you before, had a Giant for their neighbor and brother, who was bigger, if possible, than they were little.
The Pygmies loved to talk with Antaeus; and fifty times a day, one or another of them would turn up his head, and shout through the hollow of his fists, "Halloo, brother Antaeus!
And, on their parts, the Pygmies loved Antaeus with as much affection as their tiny hearts could hold.
8-35) `(The Sons of Boreas pursued the Harpies) to the lands of the Massagetae and of the proud Half-Dog men, of the Underground-folk and of the feeble Pygmies; and to the tribes of the boundless Black-skins and the Libyans.
43: No one would accuse Hesiod of ignorance though he speaks of the Half-dog people and the Great-Headed people and the Pygmies.
The Tharks were having their hands full in the center of the room, and I began to realize that nothing short of a miracle could save Dejah Thoris and myself, when I saw Tars Tarkas surging through the crowd of pygmies that swarmed about him.
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Shall a man go and hang himself because he belongs to the race of pygmies, and not be the biggest pygmy that he can?
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You stalk amongst a world of pygmies a veritable giant, the adored of women, the envied of men!
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At last, toward eleven o'clock, the people who were looking through the telescopes cried out "There they are!"--and sure enough, far up, on the loftiest terraces of the Grand Plateau, the three pygmies appeared, climbing with remarkable vigor and spirit.
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