In the 16th century, Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the man failed to keep his family’s pot filled with coffee.
MIDGET
bantam, diminutive, lilliputian, midget, petite, tiny, flyspeck
(adjective) very small; “diminutive in stature”; “a lilliputian chest of drawers”; “her petite figure”; “tiny feet”; “the flyspeck nation of Bahrain moved toward democracy”
dwarf, midget, nanus
(noun) a person who is markedly small
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
midget (plural midgets)
(originally) A little sandfly.
(loosely) Any small swarming insect similar to the mosquito; a midge.
(sometimes offensive) A normally proportioned person with small stature, usually defined as reaching an adult height less than 4'10". [from later 19th c.]
(sometimes offensive) Any short person.
(attributively) A small version of something; miniature.
Usage notes
• Used for an insect, this is a variation on midge that is incorrect but commonly used.
Synonyms
• (person below 4'10"): dwarf (loosely)
• (derogatory: any small person): dwarf, short-arse, shortie/shorty, tich/titch, vertically challenged person (humorous)
• (swarming insect): midge
• (miniature): dwarf
Antonyms
• (derogatory: any small person): giant
• (miniature): giant
Hyponyms
• (a small person): manikin, homunculus, pygmy, lilliputian
Source: Wiktionary
Midg"et, n. Etym: [Dim. of midge.]
1. (Zoöl.)
Definition: A minute bloodsucking fly. [Local, U. S.]
2. A very diminutive person.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
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