noun
Meaning 1
A child.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
munchkin
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Received-Pronunciation: mŭnshʹkĭn
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Received-Pronunciation: /ˈmʌnʃkɪn/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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US: /ˈmʌnt͡ʃkɪn/
noun
Meaning 2
A person of very short stature.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
Alternative letter-case form of Munchkin (“domestic cat breed”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A player who mainly concentrates on increasing their character's power and capabilities.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: roleplaying games
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
Synonym of donut hole (“ball-shaped pastry”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal, slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: donut hole
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
A pet name one used for someone considered adorable, such as a pet, child, or a romantic partner.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
A domestic cat breed with short legs.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Coined by American author L. Frank Baum in 1900 in his novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Perhaps reflective of German Mensch or munch + -kin. Compare Low German Menschken and Low German Minschken. Sense 5 (“donut hole”) is a genericization of the Dunkin' trademark "Munchkins".
From munchkin.
Across languages
Translations
10 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Polish: basałyk — child
- Russian: ребёнок (rebjónok) — child
- Russian: карапу́з (karapúz) — child
- Spanish: mico — child
- Spanish: monicaco — child
- Spanish: pitufo — child
- Portuguese: tampinha — person of very short stature
- Russian: ка́рлик (kárlik) — person of very short stature
- Russian: ма́нчкин (mánčkin) — player who mainly concentrates solely on increasing their character's power and capabilities
- Russian: ма́нчкин (mánčkin) — domestic cat breed