ENGLISH
REFERENCE

dwarves

n. plural-only
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈdwɔɹvz// UK //dwˈɔːvz// dwarves

n. small, strong people in fantasy stories who often live underground and work with metal. In science, it can also describe stars that are smaller than usual.

n. the plural form of 'dwarf', referring to a race of short, stout beings in folklore and fantasy literature, or to stars of relatively small size and low luminosity. While 'dwarfs' is also a standard plural, this specific spelling is strongly associated with the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and modern high fantasy.


SIMPLE

The dwarves worked deep inside the mountain mines.

CONTEXTUAL

In many fantasy novels, dwarves are depicted as expert blacksmiths who value tradition and gold.

COMPLEX

The author chose the spelling 'dwarves' to distinguish his noble, ancient race from the more whimsical or diminutive figures found in traditional nursery tales.

Synonyms
Usage

Takes a plural verb. The spelling 'dwarves' is preferred in fantasy contexts, whereas 'dwarfs' is more common in biological or astronomical contexts.

Pitfall

The dwarves is mining.The dwarves are mining.Dwarves is a plural noun and requires a plural verb agreement.

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