pygmy
A member of various legendary races of dwarfs, or supernatural peoples of diminutive…A member of various legendary races of dwarfs, or supernatural peoples of diminutive stature.
» Bureaucracy is a giant mechanism operated by pygmies.
Die Bürokratie ist ein gewaltiger Mechanismus, der von Pygmäen betrieben wird.
Бюрократия - это гигантский механизм, управляемый карликами.
Meaning
5 sensesA member of various legendary races of dwarfs, or supernatural peoples of diminutive stature.
Pygmäe
пигме́йpigméj, пигме́йpigméj
пігме́йpihméj, пігме́йкаpihméjka
any member of various peoples having an average height of less than five feet
(capitalized, dated, often, proscribed)A member of one of various tribal peoples of the Congo Basin in equatorial Africa, notable for their very short stature.
(capitalized, dated, often, proscribed)Also applied to various other peoples of short stature.
(derogatory, figuratively, offensive)Any dwarfish person or thing; a disparaging term for a small person.
ка́рликkárlik
(derogatory, figuratively, offensive)An insignificant person, at least in some respect.
Examples
3 sentencesBureaucracy is a giant mechanism operated by pygmies.
ruБюрократия - это гигантский механизм, управляемый карликами.
deDie Bürokratie ist ein gewaltiger Mechanismus, der von Pygmäen betrieben wird.
A pygmy is something that is a very small example of its type.
Be bold, European Union, or remain a political pygmy.
deSei kühn, Europäische Union, oder bleib ein politischer Pygmäe.
Translations
7 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 2
By meaning 1
Origin
From Latin Pygmaeī, from Ancient Greek πυγμαῖος (pugmaîos, “a member of a legendary race oFrom Latin Pygmaeī, from Ancient Greek πυγμαῖος (pugmaîos, “a member of a legendary race of dwarves”), from πυγμή (pugmḗ, “fist (as small as a fist)”). In Ancient Greek, first mentioned by Homer; only applied to actual human races in the 19th century.
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