miniature

miniature
{{11}}miniature (adj.) "small," 1714, from MINATURE (Cf. minature) (n.). Of dog breeds, from 1889. Of golf, from 1893.
{{12}}miniature (n.) 1580s, "a reduced image," from It. miniatura "manuscript illumination or small picture," from pp. of miniare "to illuminate a manuscript," from L. miniare "to paint red," from minium "red lead," used in ancient times to make red ink, a word said to be of Iberian origin. Sense development is because pictures in medieval manuscripts were small, but no doubt there was influence as well from the similar-sounding Latin words that express smallness: minor, minimus, minutus, etc.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • MINIATURE — L’art de la miniature dérive de l’enluminure médiévale; il lui emprunte aussi son nom, puisque le terme de miniature semble provenir de minium , couleur rouge employée dans la décoration des manuscrits. Il n’est pas à exclure, en outre, que… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • miniature — MINIATURE. s. f. On prononce ordinairement, Mignature. Sorte de peinture delicate qui se fait à petits points. Portrait de miniature. portrait en miniature. petite miniature …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Miniature — Min i*a*ture, a. Being on a small scale; much reduced from the reality; as, a miniature copy. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • miniature — [adj] tiny baby, diminutive, itsybitsy*, itty bitty*, Lilliputian*, little, midget, mini, minikin, minuscule, minute, mite, model, petite, pint sized, pocket, reduced, scaleddown, small, small scale, teensy*, teeny*, toy, wee; concepts 773,789… …   New thesaurus

  • miniature — [min′ē ə chər, min′i chər] n. [It miniatura, rubrication, illumination of manuscripts < ML < pp. of L miniare, to paint red < minium, red lead (see MINIUM): sense infl. by L minutus,MINUTE2] 1. a small painting or illuminated letter, as… …   English World dictionary

  • Miniature — Min i*a*ture, v. t. To represent or depict in a small compass, or on a small scale. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Miniature — Min i*a*ture (?; 277), n. [It. miniatura, fr. L. miniare. See {Miniate}, v.,{Minium}.] [1913 Webster] 1. Originally, a painting in colors such as those in medi[ae]val manuscripts; in modern times, any very small painting, especially a portrait.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • miniature — index model, tenuous Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • miniature — adj minute, diminutive, *small, little, wee, tiny, teeny, weeny …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 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 …   English terms dictionary

  • Miniature — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Miniature (homonymie). Miniature enluminée sur parchemin …   Wikipédia en Français

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