RUNT


Meaning of RUNT in English

ˈrənt noun

( -s ; except sense 5 a )

Etymology: origin unknown

1.

a. chiefly dialect : the dead stump or trunk of a tree

b. chiefly Scotland : a usually hardened stalk or stem of a plant

2. : an ox or cow belonging to one of the breeds of small British upland cattle

3. : an animal unusually small as compared with others of its kind ; especially : the smallest of a litter of pigs

4.

a. : a person of small stature or stunted growth — usually used disparagingly

one scraggly, starved little runt of a man — Ira Wolfert

b. : something small and contemptible

c. chiefly Scotland : an old withered person

5.

a. usually capitalized : an old breed of very large but slow-breeding domestic pigeons usually white, blue, or silvery with barred wings and iridescent neck

b. sometimes capitalized : a bird of this breed

6. : a poor hand in poker and some other card games ; specifically : a poker hand of less value than a pair

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.