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Midget vs Elfin - What's the difference?

midget | elfin | Related terms |

Midget is a related term of elfin.


As nouns the difference between midget and elfin

is that midget is (originally) a little sandfly while elfin is an elf; an inhabitant of fairy-land.

As an adjective elfin is

relating to or resembling an elf, especially in its tiny size or features.

midget

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • (originally) A little sandfly.
  • ''Although tiny and just two-winged, midgets can bite you manyfold till you itch all over your unprotected skin
  • (loosely) Any small swarming insect similar to the mosquito; a midge
  • A normally proportioned person with small stature, usually defined as reaching an adult height less than 4'10".
  • (sometimes derogatory) Any short person.
  • (attributively) That is a small version of something; miniature
  • the midget pony

    Usage notes

    * Used for an insect, this is a variation on (midge) that is incorrect but commonly used.

    Synonyms

    * dwarf (loosely) * dwarf, short-arse, shortie/shorty, tich/titch, vertically challenged person (humorous) * (swarming insect) midge * (miniature) dwarf

    Antonyms

    * giant * (miniature) giant

    References

    * [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=midge&searchmode=none]

    elfin

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) elven, from (etyl) elfen, .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An elf; an inhabitant of fairy-land.
  • A little urchin or child.
  • Etymology 2

    Partly from attributive use of Etymology 1, but reanalysed by Spenser as if equivalent to .

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Relating to or resembling an elf, especially in its tiny size or features.
  • *
  • *:Three chairs of the steamer type, all maimed, comprised the furniture of this roof-garden, withon one of the copings a row of four red clay flower-pots filled with sun-baked dust from which gnarled and rusty stalks thrust themselves up like withered elfin limbs.
  • *{{quote-news, year=2012, date=May 24, author=Nathan Rabin, work=The Onion AV Club
  • , title= Film: Reviews: Men In Black 3 , passage=He’s forced to travel back to 1969 to prevent an evil alien (a shockingly effective, nearly unrecognizable Jemaine Clement of Flight Of The Conchords, playing sort of a psychotic extraterrestrial-biker serial killer) from destroying the world by killing Brolin. Smith is aided in his quest by an elfin , time-jumping alien with psychic powers played by another Coen brothers veteran, A Serious Man star Michael Stuhlbarg. }}
    Synonyms
    * elvish