miniature

  • adjective of a much smaller size than normal.

  • noun 1 a thing that is much smaller than normal. 2 a very small and minutely detailed portrait. 3 a picture or decorated letter in an illuminated manuscript.

  — DERIVATIVES miniaturize (also miniaturise) verb.

  — ORIGIN from Latin minium ‘red lead, vermilion’ (which was used to mark particular words in manuscripts).

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