ENGLISH
REFERENCE

miniature

n. · adj. · v.
US //ˈmɪniəˌtʃʊɹ// UK //mˈɪnɪtʃɐ// minia·ture
  1. 1 a small model (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a very small version or model of something that is usually much larger.

    a representation or model of something on a much smaller scale than the original.

    Example

    He built a perfect miniature of the historic ship inside a glass bottle.

    Example

    The museum features a detailed miniature of the city as it appeared before the Great Fire, complete with tiny wooden houses and narrow streets.
  2. 2 a small painting (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    a tiny, very detailed painting, often a portrait of a person.

    a very small, highly detailed painting, typically a portrait, often executed on ivory or vellum.

    Example

    The locket contained a beautiful miniature of her great-grandmother.

    Example

    The gallery's collection includes several sixteenth-century miniatures that demonstrate the incredible precision required for such small-scale portraiture.
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  1. 3 gaming figure (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    a small plastic or metal figure used in board games or hobbies.

    a small-scale figure representing a character or unit, used in tabletop wargaming or role-playing games.

    Example

    He spends his weekends painting miniatures for his fantasy tabletop game.

    Example

    The hobbyist meticulously painted each miniature in the army, ensuring the uniforms matched the historical descriptions of the Napoleonic era.
  2. 4 very small (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    much smaller than the usual size of its kind.

    being on a very small scale; greatly reduced in size from the norm.

    Example

    The hotel provides miniature bottles of shampoo and soap in every bathroom.

    Example

    The chef prepared a selection of miniature desserts, allowing the guests to sample several different flavours in a single sitting.
  3. 5 to make smaller (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Formal Technical

    to make a very small copy or version of something.

    to represent or produce something in a greatly reduced size.

    Example

    The artist tried to miniature the entire landscape onto a tiny canvas.

    Example

    The project aimed to miniature the complex mechanical system into a portable device without losing any of its original functionality.
Origin

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

Word family
  • Nounmini
  • Nounminiature

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