— pygmoid , adj. — pygmyish , adj. — pygmyism , n.
/pig"mee/ , n. , pl. Pygmies , adj.
n.
1. Anthropol.
a. a member of a small-statured people native to equatorial Africa.
b. a Negrito of southeastern 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 who is of small importance, or who has some quality, attribute, etc., in very small measure.
5. Class. Myth. (in the Iliad ) one of a race of dwarfs who fought battles with cranes, who preyed on them and destroyed their fields.
adj.
6. ( often l.c. ) of or pertaining to the Pygmies.
7. ( l.c. ) of very small size, capacity, power, etc.
Also, Pigmy .
[ 1350-1400; ME pigmeis, pl. of PIGME Pygmaeus pygmaîos dwarfish (adj.), Pygmy (n.), equiv. to pygm ( é ) distance from elbow to knuckles + -aios adj. suffix ]
Syn. 2. See dwarf .