bantam
/'bæntəm/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective:
- Very small; diminutive: Used to describe something or someone that is unusually small in size or stature.
- Aggressively spirited despite small size: Often implies a small person or thing that is feisty, energetic, or combative.
Noun:
- A small breed of domestic fowl: Specifically refers to any of various small, often miniature, breeds of chicken.
- (Informal, dated) A small but aggressive person: Used to describe a person, especially a boxer, who is small but spirited and combative.
Usage Examples
Adjective:
- He was a bantam figure, but his presence commanded the room.
- They lived in a bantam cottage at the edge of the village.
Noun:
- She raises bantams for their colorful eggs.
- In his youth, he was a bantam, always ready for a fight despite his size.
Advanced Usage
- "Bantam weight": A weight class in boxing and other sports for the smallest competitors, typically between 112 and 118 pounds.
- He won the championship in the bantam weight division.
Variants and Related Words
- Bantamweight (n): The official term for the weight class in combat sports.
- She is the world champion bantamweight.
Synonyms
- Adjective: Diminutive, tiny, petite, miniature, small, Lilliputian.
- Noun: (For the chicken) Miniature fowl.
Different Meanings
- The primary meaning relates to small size (adjective) or a small breed of chicken (noun).
- The informal, human-centric meaning of a small, aggressive person is less common in modern usage but is the origin of the "bantamweight" boxing term.
Idioms and Phrases
- To have a bantam spirit: To be small in stature but large in courage or fighting spirit.
- Don't underestimate her; she's got a real bantam spirit.
Adjective
- very small
- diminutive in stature
- a lilliputian chest of drawers
- her petite figure
- tiny feet
- the flyspeck nation of Bahrain moved toward democracy
Noun
- any of various small breeds of fowl