HOMUNCULUS

homunculus

(noun) a tiny fully formed individual that (according to the discredited theory of preformation) is supposed to be present in the sperm cell

manikin, mannikin, homunculus

(noun) a person who is very small but who is not otherwise deformed or abnormal

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

homunculus (plural homunculi)

A miniature man, once imagined by spermists to be present in human sperm.

The nerve map of the human body that exists on the parietal lobe of the human brain.

Source: Wiktionary


Ho*mun"cu*lus, n.; pl. Homunculi. Etym: [L., dim. of homo man.]

Definition: A little man; a dwarf; a manikin. Sterne.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

5 June 2025

UNDERLAY

(verb) raise or support (the level of printing) by inserting a piece of paper or cardboard under the type; “underlay the plate”


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Coffee Trivia

Espresso is both a coffee beverage and a brewing method that originated in Italy. When making an espresso, a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure forces through finely-ground coffee beans. It has more caffeine per unit volume than most coffee beverages. Its smaller serving size will take three shots to equal a mug of standard brewed coffee.

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