Size

views updated May 17 2018

368. Size

See also 187. GRANDEUR .

acromegaly
Medicine. a disease resulting from abnormal activity of the pituitary gland in which bones of the extremities are enlarged. acromegalic, adj.
Brobdingnagian
a person of enormous size, as from Brobdingnag in Swifts Gullivers Travels. Cf. Lilliputian .
decrescence
the process of decreasing in size. decrescent, adj.
dwarfism
Medicine. the condition of being dwarfed or a dwarf. Also called nanism .
exiguity
smallness of size. exiguous, adj.
gigantism
Medicine. the condition of abnormally great development in size or stature of the whole body or any of its parts, most often caused by a pituitary disorder. Cf. nanism .
gigantology
the study of giants.
heterosis
abnormal development, especially increased size, in plants or animals, usually as a result of crossbreeding.
homunculus
1. a small man or midget.
2. formerly, the microcosmic human form believed to be present in spermatozoon.
hypertrophy
excessive growth of tissue or of an organ, independent of and out of proportion to the rest of the body. Cf. hypoplasia . See also 319. PLANTS . hypertrophic, hypertrophical, adj. hypertrophous, adj.
hypoplasia
a condition in which tissue or an organ of the body fails to grow to normal size. Cf. hypertrophy. hypoplastic, adj.
increscence
the process of increasing in size, or waxing, as the moon. increscent, adj.
inordinacy
the quality of being immoderate, disordered, or without restraint or proportion. inordinate, adj.
Lilliputian
a diminutive person, about the height of an ink bottle, as from Lilliput in Swifts Gullivers Travels. Cf. Brobdingnagian .
macromania
a mania for becoming larger.
macrosomatia
the condition of having an abnormally large body. macrosomatous, adj.
manikin, mannikin
1. a dwarf, pygmy, or man of small stature.
2. a model of the human body, as used for teaching purposes in art, anatomy, etc. Also spelled mannequin .
micrography
the study, examination, or description of things that are so small they must be viewed through a microscope. micrograph, n. micrographic, adj.
micromania
a mania for becoming smaller.
monumentalism
the state of having large and grand characteristics. monumentallty, n.
nanism
Medicine. the condition of dwarfishness. Cf. gigantism .
pygmyism
1. the condition of being a pygmy.
2. the behavior attributed to or characteristic of pygmies.

size

views updated Jun 11 2018

size1 / sīz/ • n. 1. the relative extent of something; a thing's overall dimensions or magnitude; how big something is: the schools varied in size a forest the size of Connecticut| houses of all sizes. ∎  extensive dimensions or magnitude: she seemed slightly awed by the size of the building.2. each of the classes, typically numbered, into which garments or other articles are divided according to how large they are: I can never find anything in my size. ∎  a person or garment corresponding to such a numbered class: she's a size 10.• v. [tr.] alter or sort in terms of size or according to size: some drills are sized in millimeters. ∎  (size something up) estimate or measure something's dimensions: she was trying to size up a room with a tape measure. ∎  (size someone/something up) inf. form an estimate or rough judgment of someone or something: the two men sized each other up.• adj. [in comb.] having a specified size; sized: marble-size chunks of hail.PHRASES: of a size (of two or more people or things) having the same dimensions.of some size fairly large.that's about the size of it inf. said to confirm someone's assessment of a situation, esp. of one regarded as bad.to size to the dimensions wanted: the PVC sheet is easily cut to size.DERIVATIVES: siz·er n.size2 • n. a gelatinous solution used in gilding paper, stiffening textiles, and preparing plastered walls for decoration.• v. [tr.] treat with size to glaze or stiffen.

size

views updated May 18 2018

size1
A. (dial.) assize(s); †ordinance for payment of tax, etc. XIII; †fixed standard of food, etc. XIV;

B. magnitude XIV. — OF. sise, size, aphetic of assise ASSIZE, or aphetic var. of Eng. word.
So size vb.1 XIV; hence siz(e)able fairly large. XVII. Hence sizar at the Univ. of Cambridge, an undergraduate receiving a fixed allowance of food, etc XVI.

size

views updated May 29 2018

size2 glutinous substance used to produce a ground for gilding, etc., or to mix with colours. XV. perh. identical with SIZE1, but the history is obscure.
Hence size vb.2 XVII.

Size

views updated May 23 2018

Size

a quantity or an amount of bread, 1785.

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