Lilliputian

Lilliputian
Lilliputian (adj.) "diminutive, tiny," lit. "pertaining to Lilliput," the fabulous island whose inhabitants were six inches high, a name coined by Jonathan Swift in "Gulliver's Travels" (1726). Swift left no explanation of the origin of the word.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Lilliputian — Lil li*pu tian (l[i^]l l[i^]*p[=u] shan), n. 1. One belonging to a very diminutive race described in Swift s Voyage to Lilliput or Gulliver s Travels . [1913 Webster] 2. Hence: A person or thing of very small size. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Lilliputian — Lil li*pu tian, a. 1. Of or pertaining to the imaginary island of Lilliput described by Swift, or to its inhabitants. [1913 Webster] 2. Hence: Of very small size; diminutive; insignificant; dwarfed. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Lilliputian — index minimal Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • Lilliputian — [lil΄ə pyo͞o′shən] adj. 1. of Lilliput or its people 2. very small; tiny 3. narrow minded; petty n. 1. an inhabitant of Lilliput 2. a very small person 3. a narrow minded person …   English World dictionary

  • Lilliputian —    Jonathan Swift (1667 1745) was a great English satirist. His most celebrated work, and the one for which he is best known, is Gulliver s Travels. It includes an account of the travels of one Captain Lemuel Gulliver to Lilliput, a country whose …   Dictionary of eponyms

  • Lilliputian — UK [ˌlɪlɪˈpjuːʃ(ə)n] / US [ˌlɪləˈpjuʃ(ə)n] adjective extremely small • Etymology: From the Lilliputians, a race of very small people in the book Gulliver s Travels. Derived word: Lilliputian UK / US noun countable Word forms Lilliputian :… …   English dictionary

  • Lilliputian — I. adjective Date: 1726 1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Lilliputians or the island of Lilliput 2. ofen not capitalized a. small, miniature < a Lilliputian camera > b. petty II …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Lilliputian — /lil i pyooh sheuhn/, adj. 1. extremely small; tiny; diminutive. 2. petty; trivial: Our worries are Lilliputian when compared with those of people whose nations are at war. n. 3. an inhabitant of Lilliput. 4. a very small person. 5. a person who… …   Universalium

  • Lilliputian — I (Roget s IV) modif. Syn. diminutive, dwarfed, small; see little 1 . II (Roget s Thesaurus II) also lilliputian adjective Extremely small: diminutive, dwarf, midget, miniature, minuscule, minute2, pygmy, wee. Informal: peewee, pintsize,… …   English dictionary for students

  • Lilliputian — [ˌlɪlɪ pju:ʃ(ə)n] adjective trivial or very small. noun a Lilliputian person or thing. Origin C18: from the imaginary country of Lilliput in Jonathan Swift s Gulliver s Travels (1726), inhabited by 6 inch high people, + ian …   English new terms dictionary

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