runt

(rŭnt)

1. An undersized animal, especially the smallest animal of a litter.

2. Derogatory A short person.

[Origin unknown.]

runt′i·ness n.

runt′y adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

runt

(rʌnt)

1. (Zoology) the smallest and weakest young animal in a litter, esp the smallest piglet in a litter

2. derogatory an undersized or inferior person

3. (Breeds) a large pigeon, originally bred for eating

[C16: origin unknown]

ˈruntish adj

ˈrunty adj

ˈruntiness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

runt

(rʌnt)

n.

1. an animal that is small or stunted as compared with others of its kind.

2. the smallest or weakest of a litter, esp. of pigs or puppies.

3. a person who is small and contemptible.

[1495–1505; perhaps < Dutch rund bull, cow, ox; akin to German Rind cattle]

runt′ish, adj.

runt′ish•ly, adv.

runt′ish•ness, n.

runt′y, adj. runt•i•er, runt•i•est.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

runt - disparaging terms for small people

half-pint, peewee, shrimp

small person - a person of below average size

Translations

mucca nana nano

runt

[rʌnt] N (also fig) → redrojo m, enano m
you little runt! → ¡canalla!

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

runt

[ˈrʌnt] n

(= animal) → avorton m
the runt of the litter → l'avorton de la portée

(pejorative) (= person) → avorton mrun-through [ˈrʌnθruː] n (before test) → essai mrun time n → temps m d'exécution, durée f d'exécutionrun-up [ˈrʌnʌp] n

(= preceding period) the run-up to sth [+ election, Christmas] → la période précédant qch
in the run-up to Christmas → pendant la période précédant Noël

(SPORT) → course f d'élan

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

runt

n → kleinstes Ferkel (eines Wurfes); (pej) → Wicht m; (despicable) → Fiesling m (inf)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

runt

[rʌnt] n (Zool) the runt of the litter (puppy) → il cucciolo più piccolo della figliata (pej) (person) → omuncolo

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

The runt is a bird of great size, with long, massive beak and large feet; some of the sub-breeds of runts have very long necks, others very long wings and tails, others singularly short tails.

Moreover, I do not believe that any ornithologist would place the English carrier, the short-faced tumbler, the runt, the barb, pouter, and fantail in the same genus; more especially as in each of these breeds several truly-inherited sub-breeds, or species as he might have called them, could be shown him.

View in context

No; there's a runt. It's only about nine feet through.

View in context

"Why, ye donnered auld runt, how else would I ken?" cried Alan.

View in context

But as for such creaturs as you Methodisses run after, I'd as soon go to look at a lot o' bare- ribbed runts on a common.

View in context

The wheeling and circling flights of runts, fantails, tumblers, and pouters, were perhaps not quite consistent with the grave and sober character of the building, but the monotonous cooing, which never ceased to be raised by some among them all day long, suited it exactly, and seemed to lull it to rest.

View in context

Not knowing what species of fish awaited me I took a 6 1/2-foot Grandt spinning rod out of the case and tied the River Runt to the end of 8-pound mono.

Too much confusion when it comes to lure selection

Putting a lead rope on Runt, I left my camp as it was and headed out.

Perseverance Pays

Mayor Anderson said: "I can safely say I'd rather have a pint with Mr Collymore than share a glass of water in the Sahara Desert with this spiteful runt."

I wouldn't share water with you in the Sahara; MAYOR'S WITHERING ATTACK ON MacKENZIE

Since the measurement update rate of 1 [micro]s is asynchronous with the runt pulse, the transitions of the clock that are measured represent a random sampling of all transitions.

Real-time jitter measurements

Short, stubby knives, or "runts,' have been all the rage in tactical knife circles lately.

Techno-runt duo: Mantis Knives' stubby MT tacticals are long on looks

He left them to pursue a solo career, recording his debut offering, the classic Runt.

Todd plans hit parade