noun pl. dwarfs or dwarves (dwôrvz)

1. any human being, animal, or plant that is much smaller than the usual one of its species
2. Folklore a little being in human form, usually ugly or malformed, to whom magic powers are attributed
3. a star of relatively small size or mass and low luminosity

Etymology: ME dwerf, dwergh < OE dweorg, akin to Ger zwerg < IE *dhwergh-, prob. < base *dhwer-, to trick, injure > Sans dhvarati, (he) injures

transitive verb

1. to keep from growing to full natural size
2. to make small or insignificant
3. to make seem small by comparison

intransitive verb

adjective