minikin
UK/'mɪnɪkɪn/US/'minikin/
C2
Definitions
n.
A small or insignificant person or thing
微小或无足轻重的人或物
adj.
Very small; dainty
微小的；纤巧的
Root Breakdown
Loanwordminneroot
+
-kinsuffix
=minikin
An old, rare word: Middle Dutch minne 'love, dear' + -kin (a diminutive ending, as in napkin). Sound-association with mini and minute keeps it loosely in the 'small' family, though its root is Germanic, not Latin minu.
Example Sentences
- 1.
The old tale describes a minikin no taller than a thumb.