Words · Familiar
pygmy
/ˈpɪɡmi/ · 5 letters · 4 distinct letters
- noun
an unusually small individual
- noun
any member of various peoples having an average height of less than five feet
Word history
From Latin Pygmaeī, from Ancient Greek πυγμαῖος (pugmaîos, “a member of a legendary race of dwarves”), from πυγμή (pugmḗ, “fist (as small as a fist)”). In Ancient Greek, first mentioned by Homer; only applied to actual human races in the 19th century.
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Why this word counts
- Where it comes from
- Listed in the English Speller Database at size 40: the standard list most spell checkers use.
- How common it is
- Used about once in every million words.
- In the spelling bee
- Daily answer A standard word with a definition we can show, so it can be a daily answer.