DWARF, noun 1. A general name for an animal or plant which is much below the ordinary size of the species or kind. A man that never grows beyond two or three feet in highth, is a dwarf This word when used alone usually refers to the human species, but sometimes to other animals. When it is applied to plants, it is more generally used in composition; as a dwarf-tree; dwarf-elder. 2. An attendant on a lady or knight in romances. DWARF, verb transitive To hinder from growing to the natural size; to lessen; to make or keep small.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI