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# dwarf

noun (a dwarf, dwarfs or dwarves); adjective (dwarf = much smaller than usual); verb (dwarf, dwarfs, dwarfed, dwarfing)

«dwarf» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. In fairy tales and fantasy, a dwarf is a small, strong, often bearded creature who lives in mountains and mines. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dwarf/#m1)
2. As an adjective, dwarf means a much smaller kind of something: a dwarf tree, a dwarf planet. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dwarf/#m2)
3. To dwarf something means to make it look very small by being much bigger. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dwarf/#m3)
4. Dwarfism is a medical condition in which a person grows to a short height. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dwarf/#m4)

### In the lessons

In stories, dwarfs appear in «Snow White» and fantasy books, digging for gold. In science lessons Pluto is a dwarf planet, and a white dwarf is a small, dying star; gardeners grow dwarf apple trees. In everyday writing, «the skyscraper dwarfed the houses» means it made them look tiny. Phrases: «dwarf planet», «white dwarf», «red dwarf», «dwarfed by».

### Examples

- Snow White lived with seven dwarfs. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dwarf/#x1)
- Pluto is now called a dwarf planet. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dwarf/#x2)
- A white dwarf is the hot core left after a star dies. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dwarf/#x3)
- We planted a dwarf apple tree in a pot. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dwarf/#x4)
- The giant ship dwarfed the little boats. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dwarf/#x5)
- In the story the dwarves mined for gold. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dwarf/#x6)
- Dwarf rabbits are very small pets. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dwarf/#x7)
- The mountains dwarfed our tent. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dwarf/#x8)

### Note

Plural: «dwarfs» (standard, science) or «dwarves» (fantasy books). Respect: for real people with dwarfism, many prefer «a person of short stature» or «a little person»; using «dwarf» as a joke is hurtful. A dwarf planet orbits the Sun but has not cleared its path of other objects.

## In Jewish tradition

A man with a very small, stunted body. Such a man could not serve as a priest.

**Interpretation.** The law of blemishes lists him among those priests who could not offer the sacrifices, though tradition says they still shared in the priestly food and holiness.

### Examples

- or crook-backed, or a dwarf, or that hath his eye overspread, or is scabbed, or scurvy, or hath his stones crushed; (Torah LEV.21.20, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/dwarf/#x1)

### Note

Plural: «dwarfs» (standard, science) or «dwarves» (fantasy books). Respect: for real people with dwarfism, many prefer «a person of short stature» or «a little person»; using «dwarf» as a joke is hurtful. A dwarf planet orbits the Sun but has not cleared its path of other objects.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «dwarf» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dwarf/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«dwarf» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/dwarf.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «dwarf» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/dwarf/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«dwarf» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/dwarf.html) on Mova free.