I. dwarf 1 /dwɔːf $ dwɔːrf/ BrE AmE noun ( plural dwarfs or dwarves ) [countable]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: dweorg ]
1 . an imaginary creature that looks like a small man:
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
2 . a person who is a dwarf has not continued to grow to the normal height because of a medical condition. Many people think that this use is offensive.
⇨ ↑ white dwarf
II. dwarf 2 BrE AmE adjective [only before noun]
a dwarf plant or animal is much smaller than the usual size:
a dwarf conifer
III. dwarf 3 BrE AmE verb [transitive usually passive]
to be so big that other things are made to seem very small:
The cathedral is dwarfed by the surrounding skyscrapers.