Word
dwarves
US/ˈdwɔɹvz/
UK/dwˈɔːvz/
Definition
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.
Examples
“The dwarves worked deep inside the mountain mines.”
“In many fantasy novels, dwarves are depicted as expert blacksmiths who value tradition and gold.”
“The author chose the spelling 'dwarves' to distinguish his noble, ancient race from the more whimsical or diminutive figures found in traditional nursery tales.”
Examples
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.”
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.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/dwarves