Wiktionary

miniature

English edit

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In the back of Jan van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait a miniature reflection of the scene is painted, and, surrounding it, even smaller miniatures of Christ
 
A c. 1776 miniature of Henrietta, Viscountess Duncannon by John Downman

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Italian miniatura (“manuscript illumination”), from miniare (“to illuminate”), from Latin miniō (“to colour red”), from minium (“red lead”).

Pronunciation edit

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈmɪnɪtʃə/
    • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈmɪn(i)ət͡ʃəɹ/, /ˈmɪn(i)ət͡ʃʊəɹ/

Noun edit

miniature (plural miniatures)

  1. Greatly diminished size or form; reduced scale.
  2. A small version of something; a model of reduced scale.
    There was a miniature of a whaling ship in a glass bottle over the mantelpiece.
    • 1911, James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, volume 9, page 324:
      The twelve days from Christmas to Epiphany are conceived as a miniature of the whole year, the character of each particular day answering to the character of a particular month.
  3. A small, highly detailed painting, a portrait miniature.
  4. The art of painting such highly detailed miniature works.
  5. An illustration in an illuminated manuscript.
  6. A musical composition which is short in duration.
    Sacha composed a miniature for strings as a final project at the conservatory.
  7. (chess) A chess game which is concluded with very few moves.
  8. (roleplaying games, board games) A token in a game representing a unit or character.
    Jack had dozens of miniatures of Napoleonic footsoldiers painted in detailed period regalia for his wargames.
  9. Lettering in red; rubric distinction.
  10. A particular feature or trait.
    • 1627, Philip Massinger, “The Great Duke of Florence”, in William Gifford, editor, The Plays of Philip Massinger‎[1], published 1845, act 5, scene 3, page 221:
      There's no miniature / In her fair face, but is a copious theme / Which would, discoursed at large of, make a volume.

Derived terms edit

Translations edit

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Adjective edit

miniature (comparative more miniature, superlative most miniature)

  1. Smaller than normal.
    I find miniature dogs annoying; they seem to yap more than full-size dogs.
    • 2013 September 6, Alok Jha, “Miniature brains grown in lab”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 13, page 39:
      Scientists have grown miniature human brains in test tubes, creating a "tool" that will allow them to watch how the organs develop in the womb and, they hope, increase their understanding of neurological and mental problems. ¶ Just a few millimetres across, the "cerebral organoids" are built up of layers of brain cells with defined regions that resemble those seen in immature, embryonic brains.

Derived terms edit

Translations edit

Verb edit

miniature (third-person singular simple present miniatures, present participle miniaturing, simple past and past participle miniatured)

  1. (transitive) To make smaller than normal; to reproduce in miniature.
    • 1755, John Shebbeare, An Answer to a Pamphlet, called A Second Letter to the People‎[2], London: M. Cooper, page 29:
      If it be ever so little removed, or seen thro’ the miniaturing End of the Perspective Glass, it either wholly escapes their Sight, or appears to them a mere Minutity.
    • 1780, Samuel Jackson Pratt, Emma Corbett‎[3], Bath: Pratt and Clinch, Volume 2, Letter 67, p. ,101:
      The smile of the babe was in my eye, and in my heart. I saw miniatur’d forth, the features of the murdered Edward.
    • c. 1807, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, letter to Joseph Cottle, cited in Joseph Cottle, Early Recollections, Chiefly Relating to the Late Samuel Taylor Coleridge, London: Longman, Rees, 1837, Volume 2, p. 131,[4]
      Now what the globe is in geography, miniaturing in order to manifest the truth, such is a poem to that image of God, which we were created into […]
    • 1968, Samuel R. Delany, chapter 5, in Nova, New York: Doubleday:
      […] a moon holds its gray glories miniatured in rock and dust.
    • 2009, Helen Oyeyemi, White Is for Witching‎[5], New York: Nan A. Talese, pages 98-99:
      Dad had had Lily’s Haiti photos developed, and […] among them was a sunset miniatured in purple […]

French edit

 
French Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia fr

Etymology edit

Borrowed from Italian miniatura. Unrelated to minuscule.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

miniature f (plural miniatures)

  1. miniature
  2. (computing) thumbnail (a miniature preview of a larger image)
    Synonyms: vignette, aperçu

Derived terms edit

Further reading edit

Italian edit

Noun edit

miniature f

  1. plural of miniatura

Anagrams edit

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